Too Far to Reach
by Suzu-chan
Summary: Yuki is attacked by an ex-girlfriend, and he is left with amnesia. Tohma and Mika, with seperate reasons, tell Shuichi to stay away from him. Will this be better or worse for Yuki? Will Shuichi comply for Yuki's sake?
1. Chapter 1

Gravitation is the property of Maki Murakami. For once, I have been able to stray from POV fanfics. This is from a lot of people's perspectives. It's AU to the storyline, though.   
  
Too Far to Reach  
  
Why does there have to be so much damn noise?  
  
Of course, this single thought was harbored in the mind of a dejected, but very popular writer.  
  
Yuki Eiri let out an exasperated sigh as he slid his sunglasses on. It was too hot and too loud in the busy Tokyo streets. He had just come from a meeting with his editor for his new romance book. He thought it to be a piece of crap, but she was floored.   
  
It just goes to show how stupid people are, he thought. He pulled his car keys out of his pocket. You throw a piece of shit to them and they think it's gold if you're popular enough.  
  
He shook his head and he climbed into his car. Not that he was in any hurry to get home, but he wanted some peace and quiet.  
  
Then again, if he went home, he wouldn't get peace and quiet. This was all due to a certain pink-haired singer who was housed with him, and also happened to be his lover. Shindou Shuichi, the lead singer of the ever-so-popular band, Bad Luck.  
  
Unfortunately, he was the most annoying person in the world. Much like Yuki had been when he had been younger.  
  
He started the engine and started driving. Shuichi was probably going to be annoying for the rest of his life. It didn't really bother Yuki anymore. Sure, the annoyance got to him in the beginning. But, overtime, he had become accustomed to his lover's stupidity. Every now and then he would let down his cold demeanor and actually treat Shuichi like he cared about him.  
  
He came to a red light and lit a cigarette. Did he care about the singer? Not really. That didn't mean he didn't give two-shits about him. He DID care, a little. But he wasn't about to let that be known to Shuichi anytime soon.  
  
Not like it matters, he thought. It's so easy for him to flaunt his feelings for me. I'm sure he understands that if it didn't care I would've kicked his scrawny ass to the curb. Well, he might think I don't care at all, but that doesn't bother me.  
  
However, deep down Yuki knew it did bother him. The gentle side of him which he kept locked away knew that though his feelings for Shuichi weren't as strong as how Shuichi felt for him, he knew he still felt strongly. But his cold arrogance refused to let him voice such and express such. Of course this same cold arrogance prevented him from feeling regret a lot of the time.  
  
Yuki growled in frustration and turned on his radio, and turned the volume up high. He needed a distraction. Anything to keep him from his thoughts.  
  
Unbeknownst to Yuki, a parked car had been waiting for him to pass by. When he did, the driver started the engine and slowly followed.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile at NG Studios...  
  
"Again?!?!" shrieked Fujisaki Suguru, Bad Luck's keyboardist. "What the hell do you mean you have writer's block again?!"  
  
Shuichi groaned, as he lay sprawled on his desk. Crumbled pieces of paper lay strewn on the floor.  
  
"If we don't get the new single done, we'll have to delay the release!!" wailed Sakano. Bad Luck's producer started hyperventilating. "And if we delay the release Sachou will get upset!! And if Sachou gets upset terrible things will happen!!" he started running around in circles, screaming like his life was in danger.  
  
Nakano Hiroshi, Bad Luck's guitarist, rubbed his head. "I don't think it's that bad-"  
  
"Enough games!!" yelled K, Bad Luck's very crazy American manager. He pulled out a loaded M16 and jabbed it into the back of Shuichi's head. "Write a song now or I'll kill you!!"  
  
Shuichi was barely fazed by the threat, and grumbled softly.  
  
Hiro stared down at him. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Shuichi groaned again. "I'm just burned out."  
  
"HOW CAN YOU BE BURNED OUT?!" snapped Suguru. "OUR LAST CD WAS RELEASED SIX MONTHS AGO!!!!!"  
  
K prodded the back of Shuichi's head with the M16. "Get your ass in gear!!"  
  
Hiro rubbed his head again. Both Suguru and K were yelling at a depleted Shuichi while Sakano was running around like a moron. "Maybe we need to talk to Yuki?"  
  
At the mentioning of the cold-hearted writer's name, Shuichi sprung to his feet. "NO!!! I'm fine, so we don't need to talk to Yuki!!"  
  
"Is he being an asshole again?!" demanded K, suddenly switching gears. His M16 was then magically gone and replaced by a much bigger gun. "Looks like I have to 'negotiate' with him!!"  
  
"No no no no!! Everything's fine!! Aren't I allowed to have writer's block naturally?!"  
  
Sakano stopped freaking out. "You mean you actually have writer's block this time?"  
  
"Of course!! Would I lie?!"  
  
Hiro slammed his elbow onto the top of Shuichi's head. "Yes, you would."  
  
"OW!!!!!!!"  
  
***  
  
Yuki's cell phone rang as he pulled into his parking lot.  
  
He sighed heavily, and then pulled it out of his pocket. "Yeah?" He expected it to be Shuichi.  
  
"It's me, Eiri-san," came the soft yet cheerful voice on the other line. It was none other than Seguchi Tohma, his brother-in-law and Shuichi's boss. "I was just thinking about giving you a call."  
  
Yuki sighed again. "Well?"  
  
"Well what?"  
  
"Did Mika put you up to it?"  
  
"Actually, no. Can't I worry about my brother-in-law?"  
  
"Do what you want. Don't go babying me, though. I AM an adult, but you two seem to forget that."  
  
Tohma laughed. "We both worry. Which reminds me, how is Shindou-san?"  
  
Not this again, thought Yuki. "I don't know. Why don't you ask him yourself?"  
  
There was a long pause. "Eiri-san, I'm not trying to run your life but-"  
  
"Bye," said Yuki, closing his cell phone. He didn't need to hear that damn lecture about his relationship with Shuichi. No one else but him decided his affairs. Not his brother-in-law, and not his sister.  
  
He held onto his cell phone as he opened the car door. It was still midday, but he wanted to just get up into his apartment.  
  
I want as much peace as I can get before Shuichi gets home, he thought. He climbed out of his car. I don't think I can-  
  
He never finished his thought. Yuki had no warning. All he was aware of was a loud swoosh before a loud thud of a hard object coming in contact with his head. He plunged to the ground, his cell phone slipping out of his hand.  
  
"Looks like I have your attention now, don't I Eiri?" came a woman's voice above him. He was slipping unconscious, but he felt oddly calm. His vision was starting to become hazy.  
  
His cell phone decided to ring.   
  
Yuki absently reached for it, trying very hard to ignore the blinding pain in his head. But another hand came down and picked it up.  
  
"Can't have you calling for help so soon." She threw the cell phone to the ground with all her strength. It shattered on the ground.  
  
Yuki felt unconsciousness claim his as he heard that cold voice above him. "Let's get you going..."  
  
***  
  
K clicked the cell phone off. "Dammit, he's not answering..."  
  
Shuichi sat down on the floor. A strange feeling coursed through him, making him feel nervous. "Maybe I should go home early?"  
  
"You can't go home!!" shrieked Sakano. "You have to write the new single!!"  
  
"We aren't letting you go until you do!!" put in Suguru.  
  
Shuichi rubbed his arms. "I have a bad feeling..."  
  
Hiro sat down beside him. "A bad feeling?"  
  
"Yeah...something might be wrong with Yuki."  
  
Hiro glanced at the frustrated people around them. "You shouldn't worry. I'm sure he'll be fine."  
  
Shuichi nodded a little, but the feeling wouldn't go away.  
  
Why do I feel like this? he wondered. I always worry about Yuki, but this feels different. It's like I know something bad will happen. Then again, I can't get out of here too easily. Let's hope this feeling is wrong.  
  
***  
  
"Wakey, wakey."   
  
Yuki was slightly awake, but he became more aware when a pot of freezing water was dumped on him. He blinked slightly, his eyes stinging from the water and the lighted room.  
  
His eyes snapped open. This was his apartment!!  
  
"It wasn't easy getting you up here," said the woman's voice. "But I've been coming here a lot practicing."  
  
He was lying on the floor, his hands tied behind his back. He was facing the couch when a pair of slender legs in high heels came into his vision. The woman sat on the couch and he was able to see her.   
  
Her hair was black and stringy, and her eyes were light brown. Despite having a perfect figure her face was flat and her mouth was still wide.   
  
"Now you see, Eiri?" she asked him.  
  
He stared at her for a long while before a simple question escaped his lips.   
  
"Who are you?"  
  
How was this? Yes, it was both short and rushed but it will get better. Be sure to drop in a review and tell me what you think. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
"I have to go," said Shuichi, standing up.  
  
Both Sakano and K grabbed his shoulders and forced him back into his seat. "You aren't leaving without writing a song!!"  
  
Shuichi struggled against them. "Yuki needs help!! I have a bad feeling about him!!"  
  
"Nothing will happen to him!!" bark Suguru. "Now write that damn song!!"  
  
"But I-"  
  
"How about he starts to write a song," said Hiro. "Then we'll let him go?"  
  
K let go of Shuichi. "Good idea!! Now get to work!!"  
  
Shuichi gave Hiro a grateful smile before grabbing a pencil. At this point they wouldn't care what he wrote, just as long as he wrote something.  
  
Yuki I'm coming, he thought as he started writing. I hope nothing is wrong, but I'm coming nonetheless!!  
  
***  
  
The woman started shaking with anger. "'Who am I'? You damn well know who I am!!"  
  
Yuki stared blankly at her.   
  
"It's me!! Mayumi!! I went out with you four years ago, you bastard!!"  
  
Yuki thought about it before she finally came to memory. "Oh yeah. I only went out with you because you were great in bed. Still ugly, though."  
  
Mayumi struck him in the face with her fist. It cut the inside of his cheek and blood filled his mouth.  
  
"I don't see why you're so angry," continued Yuki, spitting out the blood. It hit the floor and he cursed himself for it. "You were only with me to get a part in that horrible soap opera."  
  
"Two and a half years," sneered Mayumi, standing up. She started pacing. "I put everything into that role. I wasn't the prettiest girl, but I had better acting skills than those blonde sluts that had bigger roles than me. Two and a half fucking years!! I put my whole life into it!! And you know what happens?!"  
  
"I don't really care," said Yuki, and immediately regretted it.  
  
Mayumi picked up something next to her and swung it. It was a golf club, and Yuki had no doubts that that was the object she used to knock him out. She swung it as hard as she could, slamming it into his chest. Yuki couldn't help but wince as three of his ribs broke.  
  
"I got fired!! My character, a single mother, was shot to death in the show!! My character was killed off to make room for another blonde slut with big boobs and no brain!!"  
  
Yuki coughed up blood, struggling to get air. He knew he shouldn't agitate her any further, but the words slipped out of his mouth. "And this is somehow my fault?"  
  
Mayumi swung it again, striking his ribs again. "They saw it!! That interview you gave six months ago!! How you said I wasn't a great actress!! It was YOUR influence that got me fired!!"  
  
Yuki couldn't hold back a gasp of pain. He didn't know why but he kept talking. Inwardly he knew it was a defense mechanism to show he wasn't afraid. "I highly doubt that. Stop wasting your time on me and go after them if you must. I didn't tell them to fire you, so it's not my fault."  
  
Mayumi raised the golf club again. "Shut up!! You had this coming, so don't try to talk yourself out of it!!"  
  
Yuki winced as another blow came.  
  
***  
  
"Done!!" cried Shuichi, knowing the piece of paper into the air.  
  
"Okay, you can go," said K.   
  
"Thanks!! Bye, everyone!!" then Shuichi was gone.  
  
Sakano grabbed the paper as it floated down. He started to read, then freaked out. "This is just scribbles!!! He didn't write anything!!"  
  
Suguru rubbed his head. "I'm getting really sick of this..."  
  
K brandished a loaded shotgun. "It's hunting season!!!"  
  
Hiro shook his head. He knew Shuichi was worried about Yuki. It wasn't often he wrote nonsense and pass it off as a song.  
  
I guess something is wrong, he thought. Well, whatever it is Shuichi will try to remedy it, though Yuki would probably stop him.  
  
***  
  
Shuichi ran as fast as he could towards Yuki's apartment. "Hang on, Yuki!! I'm coming!!"  
  
***  
  
"I can't even get any other acting jobs!!" fumed Mayumi. "I apply and they say that they don't have availability for me!!"  
  
Yuki tried to glare at her through a swollen eye. "It's not my fault. The opinion of one writer does not have the power to influence television and movies. You're being delusional."  
  
"Stop acting so high and mighty, you bastard!!" she raised the golf club again. "My mind is set!! My career is over, and it's certainly not my fault!!" she swung it down, striking Yuki in the head as hard as she could. Yuki fell to the floor, but she wasn't done. She raised it and hit him in the head again. "You ruined me!! So I'm going to make sure you won't have the mental capacity to write another novel!!" she continued to hit him in the head.  
  
Yuki lay there through the haze of pain. The pain was becoming unbearable. He knew he was going to die, but he felt oddly calm about it. Then again, there's hardly been a time when he was fazed by anything.  
  
He knew he had one regret, though. Because of his own arrogance, he could never tell that idiot how he felt about him. Now he wouldn't ever be able to tell him.  
  
She stopped beating his head in, but the pain was still there. Before he black out he managed to choke out a single name.  
  
"Shu...ichi..."  
  
***  
  
Shuichi stopped in his tracks. A horrible cold numbness spread throughout his body.  
  
Something happened, he realized. Something worse than I had thought!!  
  
He began to run faster, faster than he had ever run. He could feel that Yuki needed help.  
  
"Hang on Yuki!!" he said through clenched teeth. "I'm almost there!!!"  
  
After running for five minutes he finally saw Yuki's apartment, but he didn't stop. He had to see Yuki. He had to make sure he was all right...  
  
As he reached the apartment building's door, he ran right into someone. The force of the collision caused them both to fall over.  
  
"I-I'm sorry!!" gasped Shuichi, jumping to his feet to help the woman up. "I wasn't looking where I was going."  
  
The woman forced a smile. She had black hair and was faintly pretty, but her face was too flat. "It's no problem. I'm in quite a hurry myself."  
  
Shuichi nodded and started running past her. "Well, I gotta go!!"   
  
He was so wrapped up he didn't see the smirk that crossed the woman's face before she left.  
  
The elevator took too long so he started running up the side stairs. Fear was consuming him, sending him into near panic. After five minutes he finally reached the floor where Yuki's apartment was. He was out of breath and close to collapsing, but he couldn't stop. He bolted for Yuki's front door and twisted the knob. He was shocked to find it unlocked.  
  
He pushed the door open and rushed inside. "Yuki?"  
  
The smell of copper filled his senses and dread fill him. He knew it was the smell of blood, but he couldn't see anything. The apartment was completely dark.   
  
"Yuki?" he called out again, his hands feeling for the light switch. They found it and flipped it. Light filled the room, nearly blinding him. His eyes scanned the main room. What he found tore a scream out of him.  
  
Yuki lay motionless on the floor. His hands were bound behind his back. Blood covered his face, staining his blonde hair. A puddle of blood lay underneath his head, pooling out.  
  
Shuichi ran to his side, tears spilling down his face. He was almost afraid to touch him. But his hand shot out to his neck, feeling for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there.  
  
"Hang on Yuki!!" he choked out. He tore at his shirt, applying the pieces to his bleeding head. His other hand sought out his cell phone, and he dialed the emergency number. "Hello? I need an ambulance out here right now!! I came home and my lov...I found the guy I was staying with on the floor!! He's bleeding from his head and he's unconscious!!"  
  
"Calm down!!" said the operator. "Stay by him. Give me the address of your location and we'll have an ambulance down there in no time."  
  
Shuichi gave the operator the address for Yuki's apartment and hung up. He continued to apply pressure to Yuki's wounds.  
  
"Just hang in there," he told him, tears still spilling from his face. "Help is coming."  
  
The ambulance came a few minutes later. Shuichi watched as the loaded Yuki onto a stretcher. Never in his life had he ever felt so helpless.  
  
"Are you a relative?" asked a paramedic.  
  
"I'm his roommate," said Shuichi. He didn't know why he wasn't telling them that he was Yuki's lover.   
  
"Do you know where we can contact family members?"  
  
"I-I'll call one now," said Shuichi, pulling out his cell phone. He followed the paramedics as they went out of the apartment. He didn't know Mika or Tohma's numbers. He only knew one person in Yuki's family's number and Shuichi was grateful that he was in Tokyo.  
  
"Tatsuha-san, you won't believe what happened!!" 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Shuichi was finally able to sit down. For the past half hour police had questioned him. He knew that he had been a suspect, but his friends could place him at NG studios during the time of Yuki's attack.  
  
He took a seat in the hospital waiting room next to Tatsuha. Once Tatsuha had been informed of what happened to Yuki, he had told Mika and Tohma. Now they were all down there, waiting to see if Yuki was still alive.   
  
The look Tohma had given him when Mika and him had arrived was engraved in his head. He looked so angry, and had looked even angrier at the sight of Yuki's blood on Shuichi's hands.  
  
Shuichi scrubbed at his hands with the cloth the nurse had given him. The blood had dried on his hands, making it harder for him to get it out.  
  
"You know it's your fault."  
  
"Eh?" Shuichi's head snapped up and he stared shocked at Tohma. "My fault?"  
  
Tohma glowered at him through swollen eyes. Shuichi could tell he had been crying, so had Tatsuha. Mika somehow managed to keep her composure throughout this.  
  
"It's your fault," repeated Tohma. "If you had actually been on time getting home, you might've spotted the person who did this."  
  
His words cut through Shuichi's heart. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.  
  
Tatsuha jumped up. "This is NOT Shuichi's fault!! He's not Aniki's keeper!! So what if he was late getting home!! He works his ass off working at your record company!! How can you sit there and try to blame him for this?!"  
  
"It's easy," said Tohma. "Eiri-san's attacker was no doubt someone who didn't approve of their relationship. So then it's Shindou-san's fault."  
  
"Please stop this," demanded Mika. "This is not the time to be placing blame on anyone!! We should be grateful to Shindou-kun for saving his life!!"  
  
"That's right!!" barked Tatsuha.  
  
Tohma sighed. "I'm only stating the facts."  
  
Shuichi was about to speak when the doctor came up to them. "Who is the family of Uesugi Eiri?"  
  
Everyone stood up. Mika was about to speak, but Tohma cut her off. "I'm his brother-in-law. This is his sister, and his brother."  
  
The doctor eyed Shuichi. "Are you part of the family, too? If not, then I'll have to ask the rest of you to come with me."  
  
Before Tohma could confirm it, Tatsuha jumped to his feet. "He's our cousin!!"  
  
"All right, forgive my rudeness," the doctor told Shuichi. Tohma glared at Tatsuha behind the doctor's back.  
  
"How is Eiri?" questioned Mika. "He will be all right, won't he?"  
  
The doctor cleared his throat. "He's stabilized. He suffered a few broken ribs and a broken cheekbone, but those aren't too serious. His most serious injuries are in his head. His skull is cracked and there is a disruption in the brain waves. It's not as serious as we had originally thought, but it is serious. Also..."  
  
"Also what?" asked Mika.  
  
"He's in a light coma. He should come out of it in a week or so. It appears..."  
  
Shuichi couldn't hear anymore of what the doctor was saying. Hearing about his injuries was bad enough. Now knowing he was in a coma made his mind go numb with shock.  
  
Coma...coma. Head injuries often did that to people. Several times people wouldn't wake up from comas and their families would take them off of life support. And other times when they would actually wake up they would be basket cases.  
  
Shuichi went back to his seat and sat down. Why did it have to happen to Yuki? Sure he was probably the biggest asshole Shuichi had ever met, but Yuki had never done anything to deserve this.  
  
There was a gentle tug on his arm, and Shuichi looked up. Tatsuha was standing above him. Fresh tears stained his face. "They're allowing us to see Aniki."  
  
Shuichi allowed Tatsuha to pull him up, not knowing how much time had passed. They both followed Mika and Tohma through the halls of the hospital. Part of Shuichi didn't want to see Yuki, but the better half knew he would find a little closure in seeing him.  
  
They stopped in front of a window. "You'll be able to go inside within the next few days," said the doctor. "For now this is the only way you can see him."  
  
Shuichi stared through the glass, his eyes glued on the still form in the bed. "Yuki..."  
  
There was thick bandage wrap around Yuki's head that circulated around under his chin. He looked so vulnerable, Shuichi wish he could bypass all things of reality and literally yank him out of his coma. But he knew that he couldn't.  
  
Mika touched the glass with her fingertips. "I never thought I would see Eiri in such a terrible state."  
  
"We can only hope for the best," said Tohma, a tear running down his face. "In the meantime, we should contact your father. I know he's not exactly in good terms with Eiri-san, but he has the right to know what happened to his son."  
  
"I'll make the call once we get home."  
  
Tatsuha swallowed. "Aniki will pull out of this. I just know he will. He's too stubborn to die in such a way."  
  
Shuichi rested his forehead on the glass, more tears spilling from his eyes.  
  
God, I don't pray often but I need your help. Please watch over Yuki. Please preserve his life and don't take it away. He's not exactly the nicest guy in the world, but I love him. Please help him...  
  
***  
  
"Are you serious?!" demanded Hiro.  
  
Shuichi nodded. "I can't go home because the police are still checking for clues. Can I stay with you?"  
  
"Yeah, sure." Hiro sat cross-legged on the floor. "Shit, I'm sorry."  
  
Shuichi also sat down. "Don't be, you didn't cause this."  
  
"But you sense that something was wrong with Yuki. We should've just listened to you. If we had-"  
  
"Then I would be in the hospital, too. Hiro, I can't fight worth shit. Even if I had discovered the assailant they would've done the exact same thing to me." he sighed heavily. "Seguchi-san blames me for it."  
  
"W-What?!"  
  
"Yeah. He told me I should've gone home on time today."  
  
Hiro grabbed Shuichi's shoulders. "I'm not bashing Seguchi-san's ass, but you shouldn't let it get to you. When Yuki was sick with that ulcer, whom did Seguchi-san blame? You. When Yuki left for New York, whom did Seguchi-san blame? You. He blames you for everything that happens to Yuki because you so easily blame yourself. He may be your boss, but he's not God. Don't let him walk all over you."  
  
Shuichi sighed. "I don't see why he should blame me. I found Yuki like that and tried to stop the bleeding in his head."  
  
Hiro let him go and stood. "You've had a long day. Go get some sleep, we have an early day tomorrow."  
  
"But I can't go to work!! Not with Yuki in the hospital!!"  
  
"Shuichi, Yuki with get better. When he does, will he want to see you moping around doing absolutely nothing?"  
  
"..."  
  
"I thought so. Now go to bed. Though Yuki is in the hospital it won't stop K-san from getting on your case."  
  
"..."  
  
***  
  
"GET SOME LYRICS DONE OR I'LL BLOW YOU AWAY!!!!!!" declared K, shoving his M16 right into Shuichi's face.  
  
"AGH!!!!!!" Shuichi hid behind Hiro.  
  
Sakano stepped forward. "I know it's been hard on you, Shuichi. We heard about what happened, but we feel the best way to help you is to take your mind off the current situation."  
  
"In other words," said Suguru. "Writing the song that's almost due."  
  
Shuichi sighed heavily, taking a seat behind the school desk stationed in the center of the recording studio. "I'll try. I need a pen and paper."  
  
Both were handed to him. For the next five hours he tried to think of a song, but nothing popped up in his head. He had already written the opening lines for the song, but nothing else seemed to fit it.  
  
Shuichi sighed for the thousandth time, reading over the one line he had:  
  
Ki zukanai furi wo shite  
  
(Pretending not to notice)  
  
This is too hard!! he thought to himself, slamming the paper back down onto his desk. I'm trying not to think of it, but writing the song only makes me think of Yuki!!  
  
Hiro picked up the piece of paper. "Hmm, now this is better than yesterday's crap."  
  
Suguru took the paper. "Just one line in five hours?!"  
  
K looked over his shoulder. "Well, it IS better, but it's not enough to actually call it a song!!"  
  
"Give me a few days," promised Shuichi. "I'll develop on it from that line."  
  
"You'll need to hurry," said Sakano. "The deadline is coming soon."  
  
***  
  
Over the next few days Shuichi tried to occupy his time by writing the song. He managed to find the right words, but those only worked to fill up two more lines.   
  
Shuichi studied the lyrics. They were perfect, but he hadn't developed the melody for them:  
  
Ki zukanai furi wo shite  
  
(Pretending not to notice)  
  
Chiisana mado kara tooku wo mitsumeteta  
  
(I gazed far outside a small window)  
  
Sora ni hirogaru tenshi no koe  
  
(The voice of an angel fills the sky)  
  
"So far, so good," said Hiro, reading the lyrics. "You still haven't developed the melody?"  
  
"Yeah," said Shuichi, taking the lyrics back. "I think I'll come up with one soon though."  
  
"So, you want to go clubbing tonight?"  
  
"Can't I'm going to go see Yuki. Seguchi-san and Mika-san didn't tell me this, but Tatsuha-san said we could visit him in his room."  
  
"All right. Take care, okay?"  
  
"I will."  
  
***  
  
"Shuichi!! You came?!" asked Tatsuha.  
  
"Yeah," said Shuichi, walking up to Tatsuha. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Onee-san and Tohma-san are on their way here. Try to be careful."  
  
Shuichi quickly nodded. "I'll make my visit quick."  
  
"He's looking better. The swelling in his face has gone down."  
  
"I'm worried about the swelling in his head."  
  
"Me too. But the doctor told me not to worry about it."  
  
They stopped in front of Yuki's door. Tatsuha coughed slightly. "I'm gonna go get a soda. Want anything?"  
  
"No thanks. I just want to see him."  
  
"All right. See ya in a few minutes!!" then he was gone.  
  
Shuichi took a deep breath and entered the room. He was greeted by the soft beeps from the machines hooked up to Yuki.  
  
He walked straight to Yuki's bed and stood next to it. He leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Hi, Yuki. I'm sorry I didn't come earlier today, but I've been so busy."  
  
Yuki didn't respond to him.  
  
"You don't have to worry about your injuries. You'll recover, and then you can get back to writing your books, having an attitude, and...being with me."  
  
He still didn't respond.  
  
"I love you, Yuki. Even if you don't wake up and you die, my feelings won't change. But I hope you don't die, because I don't know if I can live without you."  
  
Yuki's fingers twitched, but Shuichi didn't notice it.  
  
"Everyone loves you, Yuki. Even if you treat us badly, we all want the best for you. You know I'd do anything you asked. Now please do as I ask. Wake up. It hurts me to see you like this, so vulnerable. I want to see you stronger."  
  
His fingers twitched again, and Shuichi still didn't notice it.  
  
Tears fell from Shuichi's eyes. "Please wake up, Yuki. Please don't leave me like this. I know I'm selfish and a crybaby, but I don't care. I want you to wake up! I want you with me for all our lives. Please wake up!" Shuichi grabbed fistfuls of Yuki's hospital gown. "Please..." he buried his face into Yuki's chest.  
  
Yuki groaned. Shuichi's head shot up. "Yuki?!  
  
Was he really out of his coma?! Even after two weeks?!  
  
Yuki's eyebrows knitted together as he started waking up. Shuichi could barely contain the excitement coursing through him.  
  
He heard the door opened. "Shu-"  
  
"He's waking up!!" exclaimed Shuichi.  
  
"What?!" cried Mika, moving quickly to the bedside.  
  
Yuki turned his head slightly, a soft sigh escaping his lips. Everyone huddled around the bed, waiting for Yuki to wake up.  
  
Shuichi could barely contain a scream of delight as a pair of yellow eyes forced themselves open. Confusion and sleepiness surrounded those eyes as Yuki looked around the room.  
  
"Yuki," breathed Shuichi, taking his limp hand. "You're awake."  
  
Yuki stared right at him, his expression unreadable. He sighed again and spoke the question softly. It was a question that stab Shuichi right in the heart.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
Note: I don't own the lyrics listed in this fanfic. It's a J-Rock song, though I won't list it's name or the artist who wrote it just yet. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Shuichi stared down into Yuki's confused face, completely horrified. "Who am I?! Yuki it's me, Shuichi!!"

Yuki's eyebrows knitted together. "Shuichi? Yuki? Who are they?"

Mika leaned in closer. "Eiri, are you truly all right?"

Yuki looked at her. "Stop throwing around such names!! I don't know anyone by those names!" then he froze. "Wait...who am I? Where am I? I-I-I don't even know my own name!!"

Mika and Tohma exchanged horrified glances. Tatsuha ran into the hallway, hollering for the doctor.

Shuichi took Yuki's hand. "Yuki, surely you remember me!! I'm Shuichi, your lover!!"

Yuki's eyes fell to where Shuichi gripped his hand. "Please let go, you're hurting me."

Shuichi immediately let go, silently wondering why Yuki said that. He hadn't squeezed his hand tightly or anything. "But Yuki-"

"Is Yuki my name? I don't understand, where am I? Why am I in so much pain?!"

Tohma leaned forward, getting in Shuichi's way. "Shh, don't overdue it. Try to calm yourself, becoming hysterical won't do you any good."

Yuki stared at him for a long while before letting out a tired sigh. "All right...thanks for helping me."

Tohma smiled. "Don't worry about it."

Shuichi felt a lump in his throat. He had wanted to help Yuki, but all he did was help to get him worked up.

It was then that Tatsuha returned, the doctor in tow. "I've got the doctor!!"

"Please make room," commanded the doctor. Everyone complied, emptying the areas surrounding the bed. He got out the basic check-up tools. "Can you tell me your name?"

"I don't know!" said Yuki, and Shuichi's throat hurt with the growing lump. Never had he seen Yuki so hysterical. "That guy with the pink hair calls me Yuki...is that my name?!"

The doctor shined a light in Yuki's eyes. "Don't worry, this is your family. They will help you to remember everything you need to remember."

"My family?" Yuki looked at all of them.

The doctor turned to them. "I know you all must be upset, but can you leave us alone for five minutes? I want to do some check-ups on him, but I'll call you when I'm done."

"Of course, doctor," said Mika. And one by one, they all filed out of the room.

Mika fished into her purse. "Let's see...I have photos in here somewhere-ah!!! Here they are!!"

Tohma watched her do this before walking up to her. "Can we talk for a minute, Mika-san?"

Mika looked up. "Of course, Tohma." She followed him down the hall, away from Tatsuha and Shuichi.

"Damn," said Tatsuha. "Never would've thought Aniki would by an amnesiac."

Shuichi huddled in his seat, tears rolling down his face.

"Hey." Tatsuha patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. Aniki is probably the most stubborn person I'll ever meet. He'll regain his memories in no time."

Shuichi managed a small nod, though more tears escaped his eyes.

Tatsuha eyed Tohma and Mika, who were very engrossed in a conversation. "I think I have a good idea as to what they're talking about."

"Huh?" Shuichi followed Tatsuha's gaze.

"I don't think they're going to tell Tou-san about this. The old man might have a freak heart attack, or something. Plus...I know for sure there are certain memories they don't want Aniki to remember."

"The New York incident?"

"Exactly."

Shuichi scrubbed at his face. "But that's not good, though. Eventually Yuki will regain all of his memories, including the New York incident. I don't think he'd be able to handle the shock if he just remembered it out of the blue instead of being gently told about it."

Tatsuha nodded to this, but pointed to Mika and Tohma. "Try telling THEM that. Because I'm still a teenager, they leave me out of any decisions pertaining to Aniki. Of course if I was allowed my two cents, they would always be in your favor."

"Thank you." Shuichi stretched his arms.

Tatsuha glanced at his watch. "Dammit, this is taking longer than fucking five minutes. Want to take a walk? I'll buy you a coffee."

Shuichi stood. "Okay. I was going to call Hiro, anyways."

-

Tohma watched Shuichi and Tatsuha leave. "All right. You'll remember what we just talked about, right?"

Mika hesitantly nodded. "I will."

It was then that the doctor approached them. "He's all set. Where is the other two?"

"Went to get coffee," said Tohma. "Can we see Eiri-san now?"

"Yes, go on in."

Mika held the photos close to her. "Here goes nothing."

-

"I might not be home for a while," said Shuichi. He held a hand to his face as tears spilled out. "Hiro, I can't believe it!! He's got total amnesia!! He didn't even know his own name!!"

"Holy shit," said Hiro on the other line. "Are you okay, Shuichi?"

Shuichi sniffed and scrubbed a hand over his face. "A little. I'm still in shock though. I honestly don't know what to do!!"

"First off, don't go into hysterics. Try to calm yourself and look on the brighter side of things. At least he woke up."

Shuichi closed his eyes and sighed. "Yeah...he woke up..."

"And it's not like amnesia is ever permanent. He'll regain his memories eventually."

Shuichi nodded, though Hiro couldn't see it. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks."

"I'll talk to K-san tomorrow to see if I can get you a day off. You can't go into work as you are now."

"Thanks Hiro, I owe you one."

"Hey, no problem."

"I'm gonna go now. I'll see you later."

"Yeah. Bye."

"Bye." Shuichi hung up the phone.

"Shuichi!!" Tatsuha walked up to him and shoved a cup of coffee into his hands. "Drink this, it'll make you feel better."

Shuichi gulped it down, though it scalded his tongue, mouth, and throat. "Do you think they're done with Yuki's check-up?"

Tatsuha looked at his watch. "Oh shit!! It's been twelve minutes!!" he grabbed Shuichi's sleeve and started running. "Let's go!!!"

-

"Your name is Uesugi Eiri," said Mika.

Yuki stared at her. "Why was that pink-haired one calling me Yuki then?"

"You're a novelist," said Tohma. "Yuki Eiri is your penname."

"Why didn't I just leave my old name?"

Mika and Tohma glanced at each other before Mika answered. "Because Yuki means 'snow' and winter is your favorite season."

"Oh, that makes sense."

Mika pointed to herself. "I'm Seguchi Mika, your Onee-san."

"If you're my sister, why do you have a different last name than me?"

Tohma leaned down. "That's because she's married to me. I'm Seguchi Tohma, your brother-in-law."

"Oh, okay."

Mika showed him some photographs. "See here? This is when you were younger when we were all living in Kyoto."

Yuki stared at the photographs. "Who's that other person?"

"Your itouto, Uesugi Tatsuha," said Mika. "He looks like you, but with black hair."

"Oh. Is he here?"

"Yes, actually. He'll be right back. Oh, and here's Tou-san. He worries about you a lot."

"Aren't fathers supposed to worry about their children?"

Mika smiled. "That's why he worries for you."

"Oh, okay."

"And what about that pink-haired boy?"

Mika opened her mouth to speak, but Tohma spoke for her. "He-"

"I can't wait to see Aniki!!" declared a voice from the hall.

"Who's that?" asked Yuki.

"That would be Tatsuha," said Mika, starting to stand up. "Tohma and I are going to fetch him for you."

"Okay. Thanks, Onee-san."

Tears sprung to Mika's eyes when he said that. She patted his hand before leaving the room with Tohma.

"Somehow he seems much cuter now," mused Tohma.

Mika wiped away tears that threatened to fall. "He hadn't called me Onee-san in years."

"Hey guys!!" yelled Tatsuha, running up to them with Shuichi in tow. "How's Aniki?"

"Why don't you go see for yourself?" offered Tohma.

"Cool!! Let's go, Shuichi!!"

"Not right now," said Mika. "Tohma and I have to talk with Shindou-kun first."

"All right," said Shuichi. "I'll see you later, Tatsuha."

"Um, yeah." Tatsuha eyed both Mika and Tohma before going into Yuki's room. He knew they were going to pull something, but he didn't know what.

-

"I take it Yuki is all right?" asked Shuichi.

"Yes, he is," said Mika.

Shuichi rubbed his hands together. "So, what did you need to talk to me about?"

"Eiri-san," said Tohma.

"Why don't we all sit down?" said Mika. She knew there would be raised voices during the conversation and she didn't want Tatsuha interfering.

They all went over to a couple of chairs and sat down. "Shindou-kun, I'm sure are aware of Eiri's amnesia."

"Of course I am!" said Shuichi. "I was right there!!"

"Then I'm sure you can understand how important it is that Eiri not remember a few things from his past."

"If you mean the New York incident, then I-"

"We think it's best for Eiri-san if you stay away from him," stated Tohma.

Shuichi jumped to his feet. "WHAT?!?!"

"Amnesia is a serious condition. Right now we feel that Eiri-san should only remember the things that mean the most to him. Mainly his family."

"But I'm part of his family, too!! I-"

Tohma narrowed his eyes. "Shindou-san, in all honesties I hardly think Eiri-san ever accepted you into his family."

"He might not have, but Tatsuha has!!"

"Tatsuha is too young to make such decisions," said Mika. "It's not like we want to completely erase you from Eiri's memory. It has nothing to do with you. It's all about what happened to him in New York. You have the personality he had before he went there. And yes, he did grow to care about you very much. But he also loved the man who did those horrible things to him. Since he loved him, and loved you too, don't you think that by finding out about you would trigger that memory?"

Shuichi stood rooted to the spot. They wanted to wipe away the bad memories Yuki had.

And in their eyes, he was one of the bad memories.

But how could he possibly tell them otherwise? Surely they did not know every single thing that was beneficial for Yuki, but right now his recovery was most important. And he didn't need Shuichi's stupidity adding to the mix.

Finally he closed his eyes and let out a shaky sigh. "I'm going home now." But what was there a home for him without Yuki?

Tohma seemed to be back to his cheery self. "I can call my driver to give you a ride."

"No, no. I'll call Hiro and ask him to pick me up." Then he started walking down the hall.

This was no doubt the worst day of his life. He hadn't finished the song that was due, and now he couldn't be with Yuki. Music and Yuki. The two things he couldn't live without, yet they were so out of reach.

He reached the elevator and hit the button to open the doors.

"Shindou-kun!!" someone called out to him. He slightly turned to see Mika running towards him. "Please take this into consideration!! It's not like I want Eiri to completely forget about you!! Sooner or later he will remember what happened, but I want him emotionally prepared for that!! So please keep your distance until then!!"

Shuichi listened to her every word as he entered the elevator. He hit the down button and the doors closed. He didn't want to talk to her right then. Sure, he would remember eventually. But for all he knew that would take years.

Then again, I'll do anything to make him happy, he thought, tears spilling from his eyes. Even if it means allowing him to forget me, I'd gladly do it if it meant he would get better.

-

"I'll take Tatsuha home," said Mika. "He's tired, and it would be dangerous for him to ride home on his motorcycle."

"Is he staying with anyone?" asked Tohma.

"He said Ryuichi, but I'm not really sure, though he has a key to Ryuichi's apartment."

"Well, drop him off at Ryuichi's apartment to see if he's lying. I have some business to take care of, so I'll see you at home."

"Okay, I'll see you there." Mika gave him a peck on the cheek before leaving to snag Tatsuha.

Tohma watched her go. Then he turned and entered Yuki's room. Since his awakening Yuki had become a lot more alert and awake.

"Hi, Tohma," he greeted, yawning a little.

Tohma smiled as he took a seat next to the bed. "Are you feeling well, Eiri-san?"

"I'm still in pain, but I'll be fine. How did I end up like this anyhow?"

Tohma took in a deep breath. What he was about to do was cruel, but he felt it was the right thing to do. "Don't worry about it."

"I didn't see that pink-haired guy. The doctor said he was my cousin."

"That's a lie," said Tohma. "That boy is a bad influence. He's very deceitful and causes tons of problems for us."

Yuki blinked at him. "But...but he was in here-"

"He came in here to hurt you, Eiri-san. We arrived in time to stop him, and we would've thrown him out if you had not woken up."

Yuki closed his eyes. "If he came in here to hurt me...did he hurt me?"

"He was the cause of your injuries, though he himself didn't inflict them upon you."

"I-I-I didn't know-"

"It's the truth, Eiri-san. I'm your brother-in-law, would I ever lie to you about something so serious?"

"...No, of course not. Family members don't do that sort of thing." He opened his eyes. "Thanks for the warning. I'll stay away from him from now on."

"Thank you. It's best to forget about such characters."

"Yes, you're right."

Tohma smiled.

I'm not stupid Shindou-san, he thought. Despite your promise I know you would crack after a few days and would want to see Eiri-san. Well, I just fixed that. As much as you want to see him equals to as much as he doesn't want to see you. I'm making sure you never enter his life again, and Eiri-san will be all mine. And he'll gladly my word over yours any day.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
Shuichi sighed as he entered the main doors leading into NG studios. Yet another day of work.  
  
I can do this, he told himself. I can do this...  
  
It had been over a month since he had seen Yuki. Everyday he longed for him. Even if it meant just hear his insults, Shuichi just wanted to be in his presence.  
  
But he knew that was impossible.  
  
Okay focus, he thought, staring at the song sheet. He still only had the three lines to go with his tuneless song:  
  
Ki zukanai furi wo shite  
  
(Pretending not to notice)  
  
Chiisana mado kara tooku wo mitsumeteta  
  
(I gazed far outside a small window)  
  
Sora ni hirogaru tenshi no koe  
  
(The voice of an angel fills the sky)  
  
What else could he write to go with these lyrics?!  
  
***  
  
"C'mon, think of something!!" pleaded Sakano. "We are way beyond the deadline, though Sachou extended it. But he won't extend it any farther!!"  
  
K grabbed the lyrics. "Here!!! Sing 'em like this!!" he started singing the lines off-key with no balance or rhythm.  
  
"Just give me the damn lyrics!!" yelled Suguru. "I'll write the fucking song!!"  
  
Shuichi slumped against the microphone stand. "It's hard to write a song when you don't have any inspiration."  
  
"HERE'S YOUR INSPIRATION!!!!!!!" shouted K, jabbing a magnum into Shuichi's forehead. "Now get your ass in gear!!!!"  
  
Hiro watched the chaos around them and shook his head slightly. "Another day, another unfinished song."  
  
***  
  
"Hey Aniki," said Tatsuha. "Sorry about dragging you out to Kyoto. Nee-san made me do it."   
  
"Oh, don't apologize," said Yuki, setting up his laptop. "I haven't spoken to Tou-san in a while, and we had a pleasant visit."  
  
Tatsuha raised an eyebrow. Even if Yuki was still suffering from amnesia, he was acting a bit...nice to be normal.  
  
"It's pissing me off though," he continued. "She leaves me out of family decisions, yet she expects me to do her every whim."  
  
"Onee-san only wants what's best for us."  
  
Tatsuha leaned back in his chair. What he was about to say Mika had advised him not to bring up. Tohma had gone so far as to threaten him. But he wasn't intimidated by either of them.  
  
"I haven't seen Shuichi around here," he fished.  
  
Yuki paused and looked up. "Shuichi? Who's that?"  
  
Tatsuha raised both eyebrows. "He was your...roommate for a long while."  
  
Yuki blinked. "Are you sure? I don't ever remember having a roommate."  
  
"Aniki, you don't remember anything."  
  
"I know, but...I can sometimes see patches of memories. And I don't remember having a roommate."  
  
"Well, you did. He's a good friend of mine, too."  
  
"I think you're mistaken. Both Onee-san and Tohma told me that I had no roommate."  
  
Tatsuha froze. "What?!"  
  
"I'll admit, the name Shuichi does sound familiar. But I don't know from where. And I'm definitely sure I would've seen this Shuichi in my flashbacks."  
  
Tatsuha swallowed and stood. "I gotta go, Aniki."  
  
"All right, Tatsuha. I'll talk to you later."  
  
"..."  
  
***  
  
"Mika, are you sure everything's all right?!"  
  
"Of course, Tou-san," Mika spoke into the phone. "Why wouldn't it be?"  
  
"Eiri was too damn nice for his own good when he came over. And he's never nice to me. Did you give him Valium?!"  
  
"No!!! He just wants to make amends with you!!"  
  
"...I don't believe you. I think you're hiding something from me, so spit it out!!!"  
  
"I'm hiding nothing, Tou-san!!"  
  
"All right, fine!! Don't tell me!! I'll have Tatsuha tell me what the hell is going on!!" then he hung up on her.  
  
Mika shut off her cell phone and sat on her bed. It had initially been her decision to hide Yuki's amnesia from their father. She knew how bad her father's health was, and knowing of Yuki's condition would cause him harm.  
  
She was having second thoughts, though.  
  
Maybe having him forget about Shindou-kun was a bad idea, she mused. After all, Eiri did care for him greatly. Now we're filling vivid lies into Eiri's head to replace his memories of Shindou-kun...  
  
But it has to be the right thing. Eiri may have been an adult, but he didn't know what was healthy for him. Being with Shuichi wasn't healthy for him because it brought back unwanted memories. And their relationship had left Tohma in some bad moods...  
  
Mika knew she was doing this for her brother's happiness and for her husband's happiness. Even though Tohma hadn't said casual affectionate words to her for a long while.  
  
Suddenly she was struck by a wave of nausea. She knew she was about to throw up.  
  
She ran into the bathroom and vomited up her lunch into the toilet. She could barely catch her breath before more came out.  
  
Finally, it subsided. Gasping for air, she sat on the tiled floor next to the toilet, wiping her mouth with a towel.  
  
What's wrong with me? she wondered. I've been vomiting a lot lately. I don't have a temperature, and I don't have an upset stomach. Then again, maybe it's psychological. Maybe my body is acting this way because it's disgusted by what I'm doing...  
  
***  
  
Tatsuha stared blankly out the window of the apartment he was staying at. Inside there were turmoil emotions, ranging from melancholy to anger.  
  
"Tatsuha-kun!!" squeaked a voice. Tatsuha turned his head to become face to face with a pink stuffed rabbit. "Kumagorou wants to know what's wrong!!"  
  
Tatsuha managed a small smile and patted Kumagorou on the head. "It's nothing. I'm just a little mad at my onee-san and Tohma-san."  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"Because they're making mistakes."  
  
"But everybody makes mistakes!!"  
  
"I know, but they're being deliberate. They know what they are doing is wrong, but they continue to do it."  
  
Kumagorou was silent for a long while. Then a serious voice behind him spoke. "It has to do with your brother, right?"  
  
Tatsuha stared over the top of Kumagorou's head. "So you know, Ryuichi?"   
  
Sakuma Ryuichi rose above Kumagorou, his expression serious. Tatsuha hardly ever saw this side of him. "I'm afraid Tohma has a fault when it comes to being right. He'll act on his own accord, regardless of how others feel, and stick with it no matter what."  
  
Tatsuha blinked. Never once had he heard Ryuichi criticize Tohma, who was his best friend. "Ryuichi?"  
  
"My advice is to help out Yuki in your own way, but without Tohma or Mika-san's knowledge."  
  
"That could work. Thanks, Ryuichi."  
  
"LET'S DRAW DRAWINGS, NO DA!!!!!!" Ryuichi suddenly shrieked, returning to his three-year-old personality.  
  
Tatsuha managed a laugh. "I don't have any paper."  
  
"WE CAN USE THE FLOOR, NO DA!!!!!!!!!!!" Ryuichi whipped out some crayons out of nowhere and set to work drawing on the floor of his apartment.  
  
Tatsuha grinned. This was one of the MANY reasons he was so heavily attracted to Ryuichi. And seeing his idol/sex god drawing helped to get rid of his own angst.   
  
***  
  
Shuichi chewed on his eraser, while staring at the lyrics in front of him. Gradually, he was thinking of the next line.  
  
"Okay, let's see... Kaze ni dakarete...that's it!! That's my next line!!"  
  
A soft knock came at his bedroom door. "Onii-chan, it's past dinnertime!! Please come down!!!"  
  
"In a minute, Maiko!!" said Shuichi, once again puzzling over the next line. "Shit, there I go again!!"  
  
The door opened and Maiko stepped in. "Still writing those lyrics, Onii-chan?"  
  
Since Yuki awoke with amnesia, Shuichi quickly moved out of the apartment and back home. Hiro offered him a place to stay, but his apartment was also made for one person.   
  
"I have to!! We need to put the new single out!!"  
  
"But Hiro tells me that you don't have a melody for it yet. Songs use to come to you naturally. Is something wrong?"  
  
Shuichi drooped his head, letting the pencil slip from his fingers. "Yes. I can't see him."  
  
"'Him'? You mean Yuki-san?" Maiko seated herself next to him. "Well, there's no unstoppable force that's keeping you from him."  
  
"Yes, there is. His family with the exception of Tatsuha, don't want me anywhere near him."  
  
Maiko shook her head. "You know, Onii-chan. There is a strong difference in following what others believe, and following what you believe. Do you think it would be beneficial to do as they say because they keep laying the guilt trip on you?"  
  
Shuichi stared at her. "I-"  
  
"They told you to stay away from him, yes. But they aren't monitoring you. So there's absolutely nothing that's keeping you away from him. And perhaps by seeing him...even for a small second, it'll give you the inspiration you need."  
  
Shuichi jumped to his feet. "That's it!! Thanks, Maiko!!" then he made a mad dash out of the house.  
  
Maiko shook her head as she stood. "That's my Onii-chan. Nothing can keep him from his love for music and Yuki-san."  
  
***  
  
Yuki sighed softly as he seated himself on a park bench. Instinctively he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He didn't know why he was smoking, but it seemed glued to him.  
  
At least my life is sort of getting back on track, he mused to himself. I still can't really remember anything, but Onee-san and Tohma are helping me with that. And I gradually took to writing again, and am also done with a book. I haven't seen much of Tatsuha, though...wait, didn't he stop by today? Damn, if he did I don't remember what was said.  
  
Not long after Tatsuha had left, Yuki had suffered a terrible headache and had passed out. He had woken up hours later, the headache deleting parts of the day's events from his memory. One of them being Tatsuha's visit. Well, Yuki could remember parts of it, just not the conversation.  
  
I keep getting these headaches, he thought. And every time I get one I keep forgetting something. It's pretty hard to remember past things when present things keep disappearing.  
  
He took a long drag from his cigarette and tossed the butt onto the sidewalk.   
  
Tohma said that the pink haired boy was the cause of my amnesia, and that he came to the hospital to hurt me. I don't know how a scrawny kid could possibly hurt me, but he must be at fault. Tohma said so and he wouldn't lie to me.  
  
"Yuki."  
  
Yuki turned. He had grown accustomed to being called by his penname. But what he saw made him freeze.  
  
It was the pink-haired boy.  
  
I shouldn't be scared, he thought, turning back around. He's too small to do any real damage to me. And if he pulls anything I'll hit him as hard as I can.  
  
"Yuki." The boy was moved closer to him.  
  
"What do you want?" growled Yuki, feeling angry. How dare he want to see me after everything he did to me!!!  
  
The boy stopped. "I-I-I just wanted to see you-"  
  
"Well, I don't want to see you!! Now leave me alone!!"  
  
The boy actually looked hurt by those words. Yuki was amazed at how manipulating he was trying to be.  
  
"Why, Yuki? I know you've suffered amnesia, but I was sure you would remember me by now-"  
  
"Why would I WANT to remember you?!?!" Yuki jumped to his feet, moving away from him. "You aren't anything to me as far as I know!!!"  
  
Were those tears he was seeing rolling down his face?! Was he actually trying to be sincere?!  
  
"B-B-But Yuki." The boy moved quickly closer and Yuki quickly backed away. Yuki didn't want him in his personal space. And when it came to his personal space with this boy, it extended across Japan.   
  
Yuki quickly turned away. "I'm going home. Don't follow me." he started away.  
  
The boy grabbed his hand. "Yuki-"  
  
Flashes filled Yuki's mind. He couldn't pinpoint any of them, but he had to admit he didn't see painful scenes with this boy.   
  
Though the flashes were giving him a headache.  
  
"Don't touch me!!" he roared, wrenching his hand out of the boy's and indivertibly swinging it back. His hand caught the boy in the face, knocking him flat onto the damp grass. Then he started walking away again.  
  
From behind him he heard the boy's voice. "Yuki!! Even if you don't love me, I love you!!! I always have and I always will!!!"  
  
Yuki shuddered. He "confessed" his love.  
  
He acts so differently than how Tohma described him, he realized. But then again, Tohma is family. I hardly remember someone like that boy. I know I'm supposed to believe Tohma, but...shit, I don't know what to believe.  
  
***  
  
"Onii-chan, your face!!" cried Maiko.  
  
Shuichi stared at her through his swollen eyes. "I fell down."  
  
"Onii-" Shuichi ran up the stairs to his room.  
  
Maiko sighed heavily. "I'm guessing it didn't go as well as I had thought it would."  
  
Shuichi threw himself down upon his bed, his body wracking with sobs. Yuki had hit him before in the past, but all those times were for him to shut up. Never had Yuki hit him with the intent of hurting him.  
  
Why did he treat me so badly? he thought. I certainly did nothing to deserve a slap to the face!!  
  
He sat up; tears still spilling down his face. Does he really not remember me? Mika and Tohma really DID put me out of his memory. No, there's something more to it. If they had actually put me out of his memory, he wouldn't have acted as violent as he did today. What did they do to him?!  
  
He finally calmed down and lay back on his bed. He tried not to focus in on what just happened and decided to hum. It wasn't any of his tunes, or tunes from other songs. It was just...something.  
  
He sat back up. That's it!!  
  
He went over to the wrinkled paper on his desk. He hummed the tune that had just come to him with the lyrics on the paper. It was perfect.  
  
"Wait...Hitomi ni utsuru...it fits!!" he scribbled the words onto the paper.  
  
For hours and deep into the night he hummed that tune and scribbled down lyrics. If it didn't fit, he'd erase it and write others in its place.  
  
Finally, at quarter to three in the morning, the song was finished.  
  
"ALL RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" shrieked Shuichi, his projecting voice waking up the entire neighborhood.  
  
***  
  
"You guys!!" cried Shuichi as he ran into the room.  
  
Suguru raised an eyebrow. "You're ten minutes early."  
  
"And you have a bruise," pointed out Hiro, slightly concerned.  
  
"Oh, that's fine!! Where's K-san?!"  
  
"Over there," pointed Suguru to the corner.  
  
"K-san!!" Shuichi rushed over to him, waving his paper. "Look!!"  
  
K's eyes bulged when he saw all the words on it. "You've got the new single?!?!"  
  
"Yep!! It took some bad inspiration, but I got it!!"  
  
"FINALLY!!!!!" cried Sakano, jumping around the room.  
  
Shuichi laughed. "Oh, and K-san I need you to do something for me."  
  
"Okay, what is it?"  
  
"Can you find me someone who can play the violin?"  
  
Note: Okay, the J-Rock song is pretty obvious by now, but I won't put its name or the artist up until all the lyrics are displayed in the next chapter. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
"We're finished!!" cried Sakano.  
  
Shuichi laughed a little as he took off his headphones. "Sorry it took so long."  
  
"No, it's fine," said K. "We've got an awesome song here on our hands!!!!" he started laughing maniacally while fire burned in the background.  
  
Everyone sweatdropped at him. Shuichi directed his attention elsewhere. "I want to thank you for your help, Nayuta-san."  
  
Nayuta Ami smiled shyly. Though she was only seventeen she was rather good at the violin. Her light brown hair hung loose to just above her shoulders and her light green eyes seemed to illuminate in the dark. "Don't mention it, Shindou-san. I'm glad I could help you with my violin. I don't consider myself a great player, but K-san seemed insistent on me helping out. I'm just a high school student, I'm sure there are better violinists out there."  
  
"I think you did fine," said Suguru. "I yelled at you a lot when it came to being in sync with the synthesized music. Most people would usually quit after a while."  
  
"I have a habit of not giving up easily."  
  
While Suguru and Ami went off in a conversation about music, Hiro took Shuichi aside. "It looks like since you can't reach Yuki with your body you will reach him with your voice."  
  
"I don't understand-" began Shuichi.  
  
"Shuichi, I'm not musically inept. Even if I was, any idiot can see the hidden meaning in this song. It's your only way of reaching out to Yuki."  
  
Shuichi sighed heavily. "Is it that obvious?"  
  
"A little. But since Seguchi-san is a musician himself he might pick-up on the hidden meaning also when you present the song to him. I just hope he doesn't."  
  
"Even if he does, it's a really good song!! We all put a lot of time into it!! He can't just turn it down because HE doesn't like it!!"  
  
"Actually Shuichi, he can. He's the Sachou of NG studios."  
  
"..."  
  
"Okay everyone, saddle up!!!" yelled K. "Time to go present our song!!!"  
  
***  
  
"'Tadaima wa "amai toki itazura da" to,'" Shuichi's voice sang on the demo CD.  
  
Shuichi fidgeted slightly next to his band mates. Both Hiro and Suguru looked confident enough. K looked VERY confident, Sakano was ready to piss himself, and Ami looked a little nervous.  
  
Tohma listened to the blaring song on the stereo with an unreadable expression. He was seated calmly at his desk, his hands folded on the surface.  
  
A few minutes later, the song wove to an end. Sakano turned it off.   
  
Tohma rose to his feet. "I must say I'm impressed with you violin skills, Nayuta-san."  
  
Ami perked up. "Really, Seguchi-san?"  
  
"Yes. I'm glad you're doing so much with your talent at such a young age."  
  
Shuichi and his band mates exchanged glances. Why was Tohma avoiding talking to them?  
  
Tohma then cleared his throat before Ami could speak more. "I must speak with Shindou-san alone. I'll ask that you all wait outside."  
  
"But Seguchi!!" cried Suguru. It wasn't like Tohma to exclude the whole band from a conversation about the new single."  
  
"Please," said Tohma, still polite but with a little more force.  
  
There were collective sighs amongst the group as one by one they filed out of the room. Hiro gave Shuichi's shoulder a squeeze before leaving the room.  
  
Leaving Shuichi alone with Tohma.  
  
Shuichi fidgeted again as Tohma walked back to his desk and sat down. Tohma said nothing to him, just stared at him with hard eyes.  
  
Shuichi coughed. "Seguchi-san-"  
  
"I must admit," said Tohma. "For someone like you it was very smart. I almost didn't pick up on it until those lyrics 'Todokanai kono omoi dake toiki ni nosete' were sung. Then I knew."  
  
Shuichi paled. "I-"  
  
"Do you think I'm stupid, Shindou-san? Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice the true meaning of this song? It's not even a song; it's a message!! A message directed at Eiri-san!!"  
  
Shuichi gulped. "I-"  
  
Tohma stood up. "You tried to see him, didn't you?! You went against Mika-san and I and tried to see him!!"  
  
"I-"  
  
"And it failed because he doesn't want to see you!! And so you're trying to get this message past me so Eiri-san can hear it!!"  
  
"I-"  
  
Tohma went over to the stereo and took the CD out. He turned towards Shindou-san. "As long as I am Sachou of NG studios, this message will not be heard." Then he threw it across the room as hard as he could. The CD collided with the wall and a chunk of it shattered on impact.  
  
Shuichi stood there with his mouth gaping open. Tohma calmed down a little and went back to his desk. "I won't tell you again, Shindou-san. Stay away from Eiri-san. Don't pull such cheap stunts like this again, or more drastic measures shall be taken." He sighed heavily. "You may go."  
  
Shuichi approached the desk. "B-B-But Seguchi-san-"  
  
"I SAID, you may go."  
  
Shuichi tried to speak, but couldn't manage any words. Slowly, he turned around and left Tohma's office.  
  
***  
  
"What the hell are you trying to pull?!" growled Tatsuha.  
  
Mika narrowed her eyes at him as she sat on her bed. "I don't hear from you in a long while and that's how you greet me?!"  
  
"Why is it that Aniki doesn't remember Shuichi?!"  
  
Mika shrugged her shoulders. "That's amnesia for you."  
  
"That's bullshit for you!!"  
  
"Tatsuha, don't talk to me that way!! Whatever is going on is none of your business!!"  
  
"Like hell it's none of my business!!! I'm part of this fucking family too, you know!!! You and Tohma-san seem to forget that fact!!!"  
  
Mika shook her head. "Tatsuha, you're still a teenager. You're not old enough to make family decisions."  
  
"Don't you throw that excuse to me!!!" Tatsuha started pacing. "Don't act like you know exactly what's best for all of us!!!"  
  
Mika glared. "I was sure I knew what was best for you, but I guess I was wrong. But Tohma and I do happen to know what's best for Eiri."  
  
Tatsuha let out an angry yell and rounded on her. "I hardly call manipulating his memories to be what's best for him!!!! Who the hell do you think you are, trying to decide his life!! He's an adult and perfectly capable of making his own decisions!!! You and Tohma don't know what's best for Aniki!!! You only know what's best for yourselves!!!"  
  
Mika shoved him away. "Do NOT talk to me that way!!! You have no idea what-" she stopped suddenly.  
  
"What?!" barked Tatsuha.  
  
"I'm going to throw up." Mika ran for the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. Tatsuha followed her.  
  
"Is it anemia?" he asked, feeling concerned. He was still angry about what Mika and Tohma were doing, but if Mika was sick...  
  
Mika forced herself to her feet. "I don't know. I might go and see a doctor about it. It's been happening so often."  
  
Tatsuha shook head. "Maybe it's your body's way of telling you to stop all this."   
  
"Tatsuha, I don't-"  
  
"Just this once, can't you just focus in on what Aniki wants instead of what you think is best for him?"  
  
Mika couldn't find a reply. And silence filled the room.  
  
It was then that Tatsuha's cell phone rang. "He answered it.  
  
"Hello? Oh, hi!! What?! Sure, what is it? You want me to do THAT?! Of course I will!! Okay, bye!!"  
  
"Who was that?" asked Mika.  
  
"Work. They want me to come in early, so I have to go. Bye!!" he quickly left.  
  
Mika slid to the floor. "Bye." Her words were spoken to an empty room.  
  
***  
  
"I can't believe he rejected the song," said Ami. "After complimenting me on my music..."  
  
"I can't believe he broke our demo CD," said Hiro.  
  
Suguru shook his head. "This isn't like my cousin at all. He never ever flies off the wall like that over a song."  
  
Shuichi sighed sadly and gazed out the window.  
  
K came to stand next to him. "You're losing faith. That's not like you."  
  
"Well, what can I do? I put my whole heart into that song so Yuki could hear it, and now it'll never be heard."  
  
"You forget you have me as a manager."  
  
"Eh?" Shuichi stared at him.  
  
"Oh, I have some 'friends' who owe me a favor."  
  
"I don't understand-"  
  
K looked at his watch. "At 5 pm we'll be tuning in to ERAS radio station. You'll see."  
  
"But the demo CD-"  
  
"Don't worry. I have some trusted people on it. Besides, did you honestly think that was our only demo?!"  
  
"..."  
  
At the ERAS radio station...  
  
"Um, excuse me."  
  
The security guard looked up. His face brightened. "Hey, you're Sakuma Ryuichi!!!"  
  
"HAI!!!!" cried Ryuichi. He held up Kumagorou. "Say hi to Kumagorou, no da!!!!!"  
  
Within the next five seconds a very large crowd surrounded Ryuichi. Some were asking for autographs, others asked him to do tricks with Kumagorou.  
  
And due to the immense security lapse, a certain someone was able to sneak in.  
  
Tatsuha clutched a package tightly to him as he hurried down the halls. He silently prayed that no one would catch him.   
  
Then he saw the door leading into the booth. He ran towards it, readying the package.  
  
"Piss on this, Tohma-san," he muttered, placing the package in front of the booth door and he gave the door a good pound. Then he took off running back the way he came.  
  
"Mission's over, Ryuichi!!" he yelled over the screaming crowd. "Time to go!!"  
  
"But I want to play with all the people, no da!!!" whined Ryuichi.  
  
Tatsuha sighed in exasperation, realizing he would have to pull him out of the ever-growing crowd of people.  
  
"All's fair in love and war," he muttered, starting his new mission.  
  
***  
  
Yuki looked up from his laptop. The phone was ringing.  
  
Sighing softly, he pushed himself away from his desk and headed towards the phone and picked it up. "Hello?"  
  
There was a long pause. Then a voice with an American accent said, "Tune into 1312 ERAS radio station now." Then he hung up.  
  
Yuki stared at the phone for a long minute before hanging up.  
  
Music, huh? Why not?  
  
He headed towards his stereo and turned it on. His apartment was awfully quiet. And though he was supposed to have been living by himself, the silence was getting to him. He needed...noise.  
  
There was some kind of song playing, though it was drawing to a close. Then, just as the song came to a close, the DJ hit the mike.  
  
"Attention!! Special alert!! ERAS have just received an anonymous package with a kick-ass song!! It's a brand-new song from the very popular Bad Luck!! It's called 'Mizerable', and it sounds great!! Even though it does, according to the note with the demo CD, this is an unofficial single as the head of NG studios has rejected it!! We'll play it for you after this quick commercial break!!!"  
  
Then a stupid commercial was played. Yuki raised an eyebrow as he took a seat on his couch.  
  
Song? Bad Luck?  
  
The name Bad Luck DID ring a bell. Yuki didn't know where, but it sounded familiar.  
  
After five minutes, the DJ was back.  
  
"Okay as promised, the premiere of the unofficial, unapproved Bad Luck song, 'Mizerable'!!!!"  
  
The song opened with a melancholy violin, which immediately sprung into a lot of synthetic sound. Then it calmed and the singing started:  
  
Ki zukanai furi wo shite  
  
(Pretending not to notice)  
  
Chiisana mado kara tooku wo mitsumeteta  
  
(I gazed far outside a small window)  
  
Sora ni hirogaru tenshi no koe  
  
(The voice of an angel fills the sky)  
  
Kaze ni dakarete  
  
(Embraced by the wind)  
  
Then the music started picking up.  
  
Hitomi ni utsuru zawameki wa nannimo kikoenakute  
  
(The noise reflected in your eyes can't hear a thing)  
  
Tadaima wa "amai toki itazura da" to  
  
(Now it's just "a trick of sweet time")  
  
Sora ni tsubuyaita  
  
(I whispered to the sky)  
  
Then the music really started picking up.  
  
Mawaru, mawaru... okizari ni sareta jikan no naka de watashi wa ima  
  
(Around and round... In the time left behind, I am now)  
  
Les miserables  
  
Ai shisugita anata ga kabegiwa no mukou de  
  
(I loved you too much and you are now on the other side of the wall)  
  
Sotto waratteru  
  
(Laughing softly)  
  
Then the next line was sung very softly.  
  
Todokanai kono omoi dake... toiki ni nosete  
  
(My feelings will never reach you... I'll put them in a sigh)  
  
Then the music picked up again.  
  
***  
  
"YOU SENT THE SINGLE TO A RADIO STATION?!?!" shrieked Sakano. "Sachou's gonna kill us!!!"  
  
"That's why we're mobile instead of being at NG!!!" declared K.  
  
Yes, they were mobile, in K's van. All of them crammed in.  
  
"Does that mean he'll kill me, too?" asked Ami.  
  
"I doubt it," said Suguru. "You were part of the song, but you aren't part of the band."  
  
Shuichi sighed. "I hope Yuki hears this."  
  
"I'm sure he will," said Hiro, patting his shoulder.  
  
***  
  
Tsumetai kaze wo abinagara  
  
(Bathed in the cold wind)  
  
Kurikaesu yoru ni omoi wo egaiteta  
  
(Imagining these feelings night after night)  
  
Sotto kuchizusamu merodi wa  
  
(The melody I hum softly)  
  
Toki ni kizamarete kieru  
  
(Is etched in time and disappears)  
  
Nido to modorenai kanashimi wa wasurerarenakute  
  
(I can't forget the sadness that will I can never go back)  
  
Ima mo yureru omoi ni somaru koto dekinai karada ga  
  
(Even now I can't dye myself with these swaying emotions and my body)  
  
Kowaresou de...  
  
(Is about to break...)  
  
Then the music broke off into a collect of a violin/guitar/synthetic music solo.   
  
***  
  
"Yeah, we did it!!!" cried a slightly bruised Tatsuha, hugging an unscathed Ryuichi. The injuries of course that were obtained while rescuing Ryuichi.  
  
"Shuichi's got a great voice!!" cried Ryuichi. "I hope Tohma likes this song!!"  
  
"He'd better!!" said Tatsuha. "Every car we've past is blaring 'Mizerable'!! He'd better accept it if he wants future support!!"  
  
***  
  
Hitorikiri no kanashimi wa doko ni yukeba kieru  
  
(Where can I go so that the sadness of being alone will disappear?)  
  
"Wa ta shi ni a su wa a ru no..."  
  
("I h a v e t o m o r r o w...")  
  
Mawaru, mawaru... okizari ni sareta jikan no naka de watashi wa ima  
  
(Around and round... In the time left behind, I am now)  
  
Les miserables  
  
Ai shisugita anata ga kabegiwa no mukou de  
  
(I loved you too much and you are now on the other side of the wall)  
  
Sotto waratteru  
  
(Laughing softly)  
  
Les miserables  
  
Fukaku ochite iku wasure kaketa yume no naka de watashi wa ima  
  
(Falling deeply into an almost forgotten dream, I am now)  
  
Les miserables  
  
Ai shisugita anata ga kabegiwa no mukou de  
  
(I loved you too much and you are now on the other side of the wall)  
  
Sotto waratteru  
  
(Laughing softly)  
  
Todokanai kono omoi dake... toiki ni nosete  
  
(My feelings will never reach you... I'll put them in a sigh)  
  
Then the song trailed off in a mixture of violin and synthetic music.  
  
Yuki unclenched his head with his hands. Not too long before another headache hit him and he collapsed onto the floor. But as the song was ending the pain receded.  
  
"That was 'Mizerable' by Bad Luck!!" cried the DJ. "It's still unofficial, and that was the only time I could play it!! Do whatever you can to get NG studios to reverse their decision!!!"  
  
Yuki crawled over and shut off the radio. His mind was clearing up.  
  
Bad Luck. A band with three teenagers who made the scene.   
  
Flashes filled his mind, along with voices.  
  
"You have zero talent. Give it up."  
  
"I just want to know more about you!!"  
  
"This little game ends now."  
  
Some odd song overshadowed each voice.  
  
The Rage Beat. Blind-Game Again. Smashing Blue. Spicy Marmalade. Each one a song from Bad Luck.  
  
And the lead singer...  
  
He knew now. It was that same voice. It was the pink-haired boy Tohma had warned him about.  
  
But how could someone with such a great voice cause him pain?  
  
He knew. The pink-haired boy and the one Tatsuha had told him about were one in the same.  
  
"Shuichi..."  
  
Here's my long list of notes:  
  
Note1: Yuki hasn't gained his memory yet, he just now remembers Shuichi by hearing his song. The intervals between the song were to show reactions (you won't see Tohma's yet).  
  
Note2: I didn't write the song. The song is called 'Mizerable', yes. But it's by Gackt. It inspired me to write this story. I highly recommend downloading it. And if you find it difficult to place it with this fanfic, try to imagine Tomokazu Seki (the voice of Shuichi) is singing and not Gackt.   
  
Note3: The lyrics, along with their translation, can be found at http://www.animelyrics.com.   
  
A lot of disclaimers for the middle of the fanfic. But it's not over yet. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
"Oh God, we're gonna die!!" wailed Sakano.  
  
"Didn't you see all those people standing outside waving signs that said 'release Mizerable'?" said Hiro. "Seguchi-san can't kill us!"  
  
"I'll admit it was a pretty rash thing K-san did," said Suguru. "But this is the music business. If we don't keep up the good work people will forget about us."  
  
"I don't care if 'Mizerable' is successful," said Shuichi. "I just hope that Yuki was able to hear the song."  
  
"With the amount of spare time he has, he probably did," said Hiro. "So stop worrying. Whoever K-san sent out to send our single succeeded."  
  
"Speaking of which," said Sakano, looking around. "Where is K?"  
  
"Seguchi-san called him in," said Suguru. "Wanted to ask him a few questions."  
  
***  
  
"You think you're a funny person, don't you?" said Tohma.  
  
K grinned evilly. "Actually, yes I do!!"  
  
Tohma counted to ten silently before continuing. "Did you see what was going on outside? There are 250 people out there!! And just an hour ago a riot nearly broke out!!"  
  
K shrugged. "That's the music industry for you."  
  
Tohma shook his head. "Although it's against my better judgment, I'm going to HAVE to release 'Mizerable' as a single. THEM," he pointed out the window to the protesters below. "And ten thousand people all over Tokyo who called in since yesterday want that song. I have to release it because it's good for business."  
  
K cheered. "All right!!!!!"  
  
"I'm not finished. You may have won this round, but that doesn't mean you won't get away with it. You are hereby suspended for three weeks. You have five minutes to gather your things before I call security."  
  
K looked crestfallen. "Okay." He started away, but then stopped. "Wait, I'm not finished either." He walked back to the desk. "There is still the matter of a certain thing."  
  
Tohma glared. "What?!"  
  
"This." K pulled out a hand-held recorder and pressed play.  
  
["Do you think I'm stupid, Shindou-san?" Tohma's voice growled on the recorder. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice the true meaning of this song? It's not even a song; it's a message!! A message directed at Eiri-san!!"  
  
"I-"  
  
"You tried to see him, didn't you?! You went against Mika-san and I and tried to see him!!"  
  
"I-"  
  
"And it failed because he doesn't want to see you!! And so you're trying to get this message past me so Eiri-san can hear it!!"  
  
"I-"  
  
"As long as I am Sachou of NG studios, this message will not be heard."  
  
A soft crashed followed it.  
  
"I won't tell you again, Shindou-san. Stay away from Eiri-san. Don't pull such cheap stunts like this again, or more drastic measures shall be taken."]  
  
K stopped the recorder. Tohma was bright red. "H-H-How did you-"  
  
"Did you see the smiley pin Shuichi wore during your meeting?" asked K.  
  
"No, I didn't!!"  
  
"Neither did he!! I kind of guessed what you were you going to talk to him about, so I secretly pinned it on him."  
  
Tohma eyed the recorder. "What do you plan on doing with that?"  
  
K grinned. "Wouldn't it be interesting to the press if they heard that you not only didn't want to release this single because of Yuki, but that you were trying to keep them apart?"  
  
Tohma looked angrier. "You're blackmailing me!!"  
  
"It's just business."  
  
Tohma sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair. "Fine, what do you want?"  
  
"Drop the suspension. I don't like those; gives me too much free time. And I want your full cooperation with the singles we release in the future."  
  
Tohma stared at him. "That's it? No, 'keep out of their relationship'?"  
  
"Even if I told you to do that, you wouldn't so I won't bother. But I will request that you stop blaming Shuichi for what happened. It's not fair to him, plus it's gets him in stumps and no songs are written."  
  
Tohma was silent for several long moments. "Fine, you have a deal. I'm going to have a press conference announcing the official release of 'Mizerable'. I trust you won't show up."  
  
"On the contrary, I WILL show up to make sure you don't pull a fast one. Tootles!!" then he was quickly gone.  
  
***  
  
Tohma growled in fury, trying to re-organize the papers on his desk.  
  
That damn American!! he fumed to himself. Blackmailing ME of all people! I couldn't care less who knew what I felt for Eiri-san, but the press would tear me to pieces!! God, if I had my way they'd ALL be fired right now!!!  
  
It was then that there was a knock at the door. Tohma held onto his anger, not wanting to see anyone at the moment. "I'm a little busy!!"  
  
The door opened anyway. "Tohma?"  
  
It was Mika. Someone Tohma didn't want to see right now.  
  
"Mika-san, I'm just about to go to a meeting. Can this wait?"  
  
She looked insulted. "Actually it can't, Tohma. I need to talk to you about something."  
  
Tohma shook his head. "Mika-san, I'm in a hurry-"  
  
"I went to see my doctor today to see if I was sick."  
  
"Mika-san, why would you do that?! You've been rather healthy lately."  
  
Mika's face fell. "Tohma, I've been vomiting for the past two weeks."  
  
Tohma stopped. He hadn't known about that. "Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
She looked irritated. "Look at me, I'm as white as a ghost!! And I HAVE mentioned to you about my condition, but you've been too wrapped up in your work to care!!"  
  
Tohma slammed his hands onto his desk. "Mika-san, I don't need to hear this!! I've had a really rough day, now I have to endure a press conference where I have to abide to someone else's wishes!!"  
  
Her anger disappeared. "I'm sorry. But the doctor said-"  
  
"Mika-san, please tell me later. I have to go now." He brushed past her. "I'll be home tonight so you'll have plenty of time." Then he was gone.  
  
Tohma knew she hadn't deserved that. Then again, he was angry and needed to vent his frustrations. Unfortunately it had to be on his wife.  
  
Well, I WILL be home tonight, he thought. So whatever is the problem she can tell me then so she has my attention.  
  
***  
  
Mika stood still in Tohma's empty office. A numbing feeling was coursing through her.  
  
"'Wait until later', he says," she murmured. She walked to the windows. "What if I had a deadly disease and later didn't come for me because I was dead?"  
  
Tohma hardly came home anymore, as it was. Even if he did, he first went to see Eiri to make sure he was all right. Making Mika wait an extra hour for him to get home.   
  
And even when he is home, I don't have his attention, she thought. He either pretends to listen or says he's too tired. I bet that's what will happen tonight. He'll be too tired or too wrapped up in Eiri to even care about his wife's condition.   
  
What had happened before had probably been their first real fight. Tohma would probably brush it off, but it struck home for Mika. She came there ready to give him good news, and he brushes her off like she was a nobody.   
  
Why can't he make time for me? He makes time for Eiri, he makes time for Nittle Grasper, and he makes time for NG studios. But he almost never spends any time with me, and I am his wife!! I'm his wife, but I'm sure he's given more affection for Eiri than he'll ever give me!!  
  
Mika sighed heavily, tears sliding down her face. This wasn't like her. Getting all emotional; making a big deal out of everything.  
  
Then again, in her current condition, she was prone to meltdowns and emotional crises.   
  
So she came to a conclusion. Not the best one by far, but it seemed to help her feel better.  
  
"I won't tell him," she said aloud. "I don't know if he'd care, but right now I don't care for him to know. I won't tell him what's really wrong with me. If he truly loves me, he'll figure it out on his own."  
  
Smiling to that, she left the door. This resolve made her feel better about the situation.  
  
***  
  
"KUMAGOROU BEAM!!!!!!!" shrieked Ryuichi, throwing his Kumagorou into various objects.  
  
Yuki watched all of this. "Um, Tatsuha, why did you bring an mentally disabled man to my apartment?"  
  
Tatsuha glared. "Aniki, he ain't mentally disabled, he's just different!!"  
  
Yuki shook his head, wincing as another object broke. "He'd better pay for all my stuff he's breaking."  
  
"He's rich enough to!!" said Tatsuha. "He's in a rock band, after all!!"  
  
Yuki sighed. "Tatsuha, I have a question."  
  
"Okay, shoot!!"  
  
"It's about Shuichi."  
  
Tatsuha's face brightened. "You remember him?"  
  
"I know that he's in a rock band and has pink hair. But did I know him personally? You know, before I got amnesia?"  
  
"...You heard his song?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"KUMAGOROU BEAM!!!!!!" Ryuichi threw Kumagorou against the windows. "Hey, you hit your reflection, Kumagorou!!!"  
  
Tatsuha coughed. "I'll tell you a little so the memories don't overpower you. But you have to promise you won't tell Onee-san and Tohma-san about this."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Just don't."  
  
"All right."  
  
"Okay. It's like this..."  
  
***  
  
"Okay people!! We're on a roll!!" yelled K. "Seguchi-san just had a press conference stating he'll release 'Mizerable'!!!!!"  
  
Everyone cheered loudly.  
  
"How did you manage it without punishment?!" asked Shuichi.  
  
K held up a smiley pin. "Remember this?"  
  
"Um, no."  
  
"Of course you don't!!! I secretly placed it on your shirt before we went up to see Seguchi-san!! It recorded your entire conversation!!"  
  
Shuichi paled. "Wait...you didn't blackmail Seguchi-san, did you?!"  
  
K grinned evilly, causing everyone else to freak out.  
  
"Are you crazy?!" yelled Suguru. "When my cousin gets mad, he gets MAD!!!! If he finds a way out of this, he'll kill us!!"  
  
"I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!!!!!" wailed Sakano, running around the room.  
  
Hiro sat down. "What's important is that the song is legit now."  
  
"Maybe I can see Yuki again!!!" Shuichi suddenly cried. He started floating around the room.  
  
"I wouldn't count on it," said K. "Seguchi-san promised to stop blaming you for Yuki's amnesia. He didn't promise to stop interfering in your relationship."  
  
Shuichi fell to the floor.  
  
K clapped his hands. "Today's been a rough day, so I'm letting you all go home early. Get rested up, we're starting productions for the music video tomorrow!!"  
  
***  
  
"I don't like making music videos as much as I like live shows," said Shuichi. "The recording is playing during the video, but I'm actually singing during the live shows."  
  
"It's part of the music industry," said Hiro. "We have to do things we don't exactly agree to. Especially K-san's MANY promotional ideas."  
  
"I guess so."  
  
Hiro headed towards his bike. "Well, I'm going home. Want a ride?"  
  
Shuichi nodded. "I don't want to take the train today." He skipped over to Hiro's bike.  
  
Hiro fastened on his helmet. "Well, at least making music videos are fun-" he stopped.  
  
"What?" asked Shuichi, not hearing an approaching car.  
  
"On second thought," said Hiro. "I think I'll go home alone today. It looks like you have a ride today."  
  
"Eh?" Shuichi turned, seeing a familiar black car slowing down next to them.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow." Hiro started his motorcycle and drove away. Shuichi barely noticed his exit as the car came to a complete stop next to him.  
  
The driver door open and someone stepped out. "Shindou Shuichi? I need to talk to you."  
  
Shuichi stood frozen to his spot. "Yuki..."  
  
A little short, but I think this went okay. At least Yuki and Shuichi truly saw each other this time. 


	8. Chapter 8

Note: There are a few adult scenes towards the end of this chapter. Nothing too serious, but as a warning  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Shuichi stood there, frozen. He honestly didn't know what to do. Why was Yuki approaching him?  
  
Yuki stared at him from behind his sunglasses, a cigarette sticking out of his mouth. "Well? Aren't you coming?"  
  
"Huh? Where?"  
  
Yuki shook his head slightly. "I told you that I want to talk to you. And since this is our business, I figured we could go back to my apartment."  
  
"B-But, you told me to stay away from you."  
  
Yuki flinched slightly, causing Shuichi's eyes to widen. "Forget what I said then. What I'm saying now is come with me."  
  
Shuichi eyed the car. "Is this all right with Seguchi-san and Mika-san?"  
  
Yuki took a drag out of his cigarette. "Since when do I need to ask my sister and my brother-in-law permission to take someone home with me?"  
  
Shuichi smiled. This seemed more like the old Yuki.  
  
Yuki climbed back into the car. "So c'mon."  
  
Shuichi hesitated for a long second before climbing into the passenger side.  
  
***  
  
It had been so long since Shuichi had been in Yuki's apartment. He shivered slightly upon entering as the familiarity consumed him.  
  
"Take a seat," said Yuki. He disappeared into his kitchen. "I'd offer you something to drink, but all I have is beer. I don't know why I keep buying it, but Tohma told me it was part of a habit I have."  
  
Shuichi flinched. He had little to no doubts that Seguchi and Yuki were close. At times he found it...strange how someone who wasn't even related by blood to Yuki would order him around like he was the head of the family.  
  
Yuki resurfaced, drinking from his can of beer. Shuichi fidgeted, still remembering their encounter just days before. His cheek still stung when he thought about it.  
  
"Now," said Yuki, leaning against the wall facing Shuichi. "I need you to clear a few things up for me."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"I'm getting told a million different stories about you, all from my family. I honestly don't know who's lying, so I want to hear your side."  
  
Shuichi paled. He wanted to be closer to Yuki, but...  
  
Yuki drank some more beer. "Exactly...what was the relationship between us?"  
  
Shuichi's jaw dropped. "I-I-I-I-I-I-"  
  
Yuki raised an eyebrow. "You seem a bit naïve to the situation. Okay then, I'll tell you what's been said and you respond to it."  
  
Shuichi couldn't manage a reply.  
  
"Mika says absolutely nothing about you. Wait, let me start again. She HAS mentioned that I have a friend about your age, your height, who talks way too much."   
  
Shuichi sighed heavily. He still remembered Mika telling him to give Yuki some time to recover some memories and then she would let them meet again.  
  
"Now Tohma...and this is what's got me...told me that you were not only a bad influence on me, but that you had arranged for me to get hurt, resulting in my amnesia."  
  
Shock pierced Shuichi right in the heart. He jumped to his feet. "That's a lie!!! Well, I don't know what kind of influence I had on you, but I would never hurt you!! Hell, I'm the one who found you like that!!!"  
  
Yuki put down his beer. "My brother Tatsuha said something about you, but I won't state it. I want to hear from you what our relationship was."  
  
Tears stung Shuichi's eyes. He almost couldn't believe Tohma would do such a thing. What hurt him even more was that Yuki brushed off the subject like it was nothing.  
  
He sat back down. "We were lovers. At least I thought we were. We met in the park at night, and you saw some bad song lyrics I had written. You didn't hesitate to tell me how much they sucked. It really annoyed me at the time, but I couldn't get you out of my head.  
  
"I eventually wrote a better song, the Rage Beat. I went to see you to see if you would come to my concert. I wanted to prove to you that I could write decent lyrics. Then there was a bit of...confusion." Shuichi didn't want to mention his whole argument with Mika. "And then you kissed me. After that...I couldn't stop thinking about you.   
  
"You gave me the cold shoulder a lot, but you also had your moments. There were times when you were so cruel to me and other where you were so tender. I...I loved you, even though you're a guy. You would let me stay in your apartment at times, and you even accepted me as your lover at one point. No one really approved of our relationship, except probably Tatsuha and my band. And...that's it."  
  
Yuki listened to all of this with an unreadable expression. Then he sighed. "Tatsuha told me something along those lines."  
  
Hope flared in Shuichi.  
  
"But at this point...I don't know who to believe. I'm getting told a lot of lies, and I believed them."  
  
The hope faded. Shuichi slowly stood up. "But...I'm telling the truth."  
  
"I don't know that. Tohma said HE was telling the truth, yet his story was completely different."  
  
Tears started welling up in Shuichi's eyes. "You don't believe me!!"  
  
"It's-"  
  
Shuichi stormed over to him and grabbed the front of his shirt. "Do you think you're the only one who's suffered?! Do you know what it's like?! Do you know what it feels like to come home and see the person you love the most half-dead on the floor?! Do you know what it feels like to know that people blamed you for what happened, though it was out of your control?! Do you know what it feels like to see the only person you'll ever love hooked up to a lot of machines, being barely alive and you can't help him?!"  
  
Yuki stared down at him.  
  
Tears were falling in sheets down Shuichi's face. "Do you know what it feels like to be there when your true love wakes up and he doesn't even know you?! No, you don't!! I'm sorry you have amnesia, and I'm sorry everyone's lying to you!! But I've never lied to you before Yuki and I'm not starting now!!! But if you can't trust me enough to believe I'm telling the truth, then we shouldn't see each other again!!"  
  
He tore away from Yuki and ran for the front door. He quickly slipped into his shoes and left the apartment as quickly as he could.  
  
He sobbed quietly as he ran, his footsteps pounding the pavement.  
  
Why did he even pick me up?! he wondered. I should've known he wasn't going to believe me!! I'd hoped that he would've remembered me and be a little nicer, but he's still the same!! Even with the amnesia, he's still the cold-hearted Yuki Eiri who doesn't open up to anyone!!  
  
Tears continued to flow from his eyes, but he didn't bother to wipe them away. He had a great deal of grief on him, and at the moment he wanted to deal with it.  
  
***  
  
"Here's the place!!" declared K. "Our music video spot!!"  
  
Shuichi sighed heavily. He knew he should be excited about the music video, but he wasn't. He was still feeling down about what had happened the night before.  
  
Ami waved at them as she approached them. "Hi guys!! This is a really cool location, K-san!!"  
  
It was a large Victorian mansion in the middle of nowhere. It was in decent condition, but not exactly fancy. And dark rain clouds were starting to form in the morning sky.  
  
Ami looked down at their outfits. "Oh dear, I'm think I'm too formal."  
  
While the band wore their usual attire for concerts, Ami wore a pale blue summer dress that had a hem reaching to her ankles.   
  
"The whole premise of the music video," said Sakano. "Will have everyone situated in different rooms of the mansion. Some shots will be in the outer garden, if the weather permits it."  
  
"I'm ready to go," said Suguru.   
  
LET'S GO!!!!!!" yelled K, running into the house.  
  
Hiro eyed Shuichi, noting his lack of enthusiasm. "Something wrong? I figured you'd be in a better mood since Yuki picked you up last night."  
  
Shuichi nodded quickly. "Oh, I'm fine. Let's get to work."  
  
***  
  
"Action!!!"  
  
The tape played. It was a shot where Shuichi was alone in a room. He was situated curled up on the windowsill, but not so much that his face was covered.  
  
The singing started on the tape, but Shuichi wasn't singing. He just sat there, looking like a wounded puppy. His persona in the music video was supposed to look like this, but not so much.  
  
"Cut!!" yelled K. He stormed towards Shuichi. "Shuichi, get with it!! It won't make any sense to viewers if you just sit there!!!"  
  
Shuichi looked up at him, confused. Then he straightened in his seat. "Huh?! What?!"  
  
"We're making the music video for 'Mizerable'!!! We need you to sing!!"  
  
"Oh, okay. Sorry."  
  
K shook his head. "Let's try this again."  
  
After a few minutes, "Action!!!" was yelled again and the tape started again. This time Shuichi sang with the tape.  
  
Ki zukanai furi wo shite  
  
(Pretending not to notice)  
  
Chiisana mado kara tooku wo mitsumeteta  
  
(I gazed far outside a small window)  
  
Sora ni hirogaru tenshi no koe  
  
(The voice of an angel fills the sky)  
  
Kaze ni dakarete  
  
(Embraced by the wind)  
  
"Cut!! Excellent!!"  
  
"Great!! Let's move to the next scene!!" yelled K. He slapped Suguru on the back. "You're next!!"  
  
Everyone filed out of the room. Hiro stopped and turned towards the window. Shuichi was still sitting there.  
  
"Shuichi, we're starting the next scene," Hiro reminded him.   
  
Shuichi snapped out of his trance. "What?"  
  
Hiro shook his head. "All right, what did Yuki do?!"  
  
Shuichi stared at him. "Nothing. Yuki didn't do anything."  
  
"Yeah, and pigs fly. What did he say?"  
  
Shuichi forced a smile and jumped to his feet. "I'm fine, Hiro!! Believe me, I am!!"  
  
Before Hiro could protest to this, Shuichi bounded out of the room after the rest of the crew.  
  
"Like hell you're fine," he muttered, following him.  
  
Two hours later...  
  
"Okay, here's the garden scene!!" announced Sakano, seemingly confident. He DID look rather worried when he saw the sky. Then again, he came prepared so each of the cameras had covers on them.  
  
Shuichi didn't have a cover.  
  
"What if it rains?!" he complained.  
  
"If you get this scene done quickly, then you won't have any worries!!" declared K.  
  
Shuichi sighed heavily for the 80th time that day.  
  
"Action!!!"  
  
Tsumetai kaze wo abinagara  
  
(Bathed in the cold wind)  
  
Kurikaesu yoru ni omoi wo egaiteta  
  
(Imagining these feelings night after night)  
  
Sotto kuchizusamu merodi wa  
  
(The melody I hum softly)  
  
Toki ni kizamarete kieru  
  
(Is etched in time and disappears)  
  
Just as that line finished, sheets of rain fell.  
  
"AGH!!!!" wailed Shuichi, raising his hands over his head.  
  
"Keep going!!" said K, though he was becoming quickly wet. "This adds effects to the scene!!"  
  
So Shuichi sang the rest of the part slowly wandering around the garden as it poured.  
  
Nido to modorenai kanashimi wa wasurerarenakute  
  
(I can't forget the sadness that will I can never go back)  
  
Ima mo yureru omoi ni somaru koto dekinai karada ga  
  
(Even now I can't dye myself with these swaying emotions and my body)  
  
Kowaresou de...  
  
(Is about to break...)  
  
"Cut!!"  
  
"Back inside!!" declared K. "We needs some shots of the violin!!"  
  
Everyone hurried into the house. Shuichi looked even grimmer than he did before the rain had fallen.  
  
"Here," said Hiro, handing him a towel. "Dry yourself off."  
  
Shuichi took the towel without saying anything. He rubbed it through his hair and over his face. It stopped at his face and his shoulders shook. He was crying.  
  
"Shuichi? Why are you crying? I'm guessing it's not because K made you stand out there and finish the scene."  
  
Shuichi scrubbed at his face with the towel. "Oh, I'm fine-"  
  
"Dammit Shuichi!!" Hiro grabbed his shoulders. "You are not fine!! Something is bothering you!! Now tell me what it is!! I'm your best friend, you can tell me anything!!"  
  
Shuichi sighed again and leaned against the wall. "He didn't believe me."  
  
Hiro blinked. "What?"  
  
Shuichi removed the towel from his face. Tears were streaming from his eyes. "He asked me what our relationship was, and I told him. I spilled out everything to him, risking Seguchi-san's wrath. But he didn't believe me!! He said everyone had been lying to him, and he wasn't sure I was telling the truth!!"  
  
Hiro shook his head. "I'm sorry."  
  
Shuichi closed his eyes, more tears falling. "I thought...that for once he would believe me. I really thought...I guess I was wrong."  
  
"You're not wrong, Shuichi. He's the one making a mistake. Even if he doesn't want to, he HAS to trust someone. That someone has to be you, because you've never lied to him. If he can't see that, then he's a fucking idiot."  
  
Shuichi laughed a little. "I usually wouldn't let you talk about Yuki like that, but right now I don't care."  
  
"Cut!!"  
  
Both Hiro and Shuichi turned their heads. Ami's scene was over and Suguru was talking to her.  
  
Hiro arched an eyebrow. "If I didn't know better, I'd say Fujisaki like Nayuta-san."   
  
Shuichi face-faulted. "Fujisaki?! Liking someone?!?!"  
  
"I know, it sounds crazy. Especially with the way he bossed her around while we were making the song. Now he's kissing her ass. Either he likes her or he's acting."  
  
Shuichi shook his head. "I'm not sure I want to think about it."  
  
"Shindou-kun, Nakano-kun!!" called Sakano. "Your scenes are next!!!"  
  
Hiro patted Shuichi on the shoulder. "Try not to think about Yuki today. Don't seek him out, wait until he comes to you."  
  
"..."  
  
Hours later...  
  
"And that's a wrap!!"  
  
All three members of Bad Luck collapsed onto the floor. Another day of work done.  
  
Ami didn't even look tired. "It was a lot of fun working with you guys. I hope I can work with you again."  
  
"Yeah, sure," said Shuichi, yawning loudly.  
  
"I need a vacation," said Suguru. "All those times I had to play over and over again..."  
  
Hiro raised bruised fingers. "I think my fingers are going to fall off."  
  
"SHUT UP!!!!!" demanded a loud American voice above them. K pointed an Uzi at them. "Quit your bitching!! This is the music industry, you're expecting to work like hell!!"  
  
The band members glared up at him.  
  
K put away his Uzi. "Then again, we DID get it done in one day. Okay, you all have tomorrow off!!!"  
  
"YA-HOO!!!!!!!!" cried Shuichi, mustering enough energy to hop around the room.  
  
Hiro continued to stare at his bruised fingers. "I think I need to see a doctor."  
  
***  
  
"May I ask why did you say that to him?!?!" barked Tatsuha.  
  
"I wanted to test him," said Yuki. "See how he would act."  
  
"Well, did he pass?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Aniki--!!!!"  
  
"But his reaction WAS rather strange. I expected him to start crying hysterically, but not that way."  
  
"Well, do you feel bad about it?!"  
  
Yuki thought about it. "Actually, I do. I didn't want to see him cry like that. Or cry at all."  
  
"What are you waiting for then?! Hurry and get him!!"  
  
"From where?"  
  
"Here!!" Tatsuha shoved a slip at him. "They're filming a music video there!! Now go get him and don't fuck up this time!!"  
  
Yuki eyed the paper, and then stared at Tatsuha. "How did you know they were filming here?"  
  
Tatsuha blushed. "I, uh, asked Ryuichi about it and he, uh-"  
  
"Never mind." Yuki got up. "You want to come with me?"  
  
Tatsuha shook his head. "I'm leaving soon. Besides this is between you and Shuichi."  
  
"..."  
  
***  
  
Shuichi shrugged on his jacket. He was glad Hiro had nagged him to bring an extra pair of clothes. He'd come very close to catching a cold.  
  
"You guys leaving now?" asked Ami. "I have a car if any of you need a ride."  
  
"I have my bike," said Hiro.  
  
"I'm getting a ride with Hiro," said Shuichi.  
  
"I'll go with you," said Suguru.  
  
Ami smiled at him. "Okay."  
  
Hiro rolled his eyes. "Now it's just a little too obvious."  
  
Shuichi shrugged. "Let's go."  
  
They left through the front door. Everyone else had already gone, and Ami and Suguru had gone through the back door because her car was there.  
  
"Want to go out clubbing?" asked Hiro.  
  
Shuichi shook his head. "Too tired."  
  
"Yeah, me too. I think my fingers are going to blister. All those times K made me do a scene over...I wanted to hit him with my guitar."  
  
Shuichi laughed. "But you have more self-control than hardly any of us!!"  
  
"I know. But my fingers were hurting me enough to want to hurt K."  
  
Shuichi laughed again. "Oh man, if you ever did that I'd pay to see it!!"  
  
Hiro smiled. "It's good to hear you laughing again. You've been so down lately."  
  
Shuichi smiled back. "Can't stay glum forever!!"  
  
"And what about Yuki?"  
  
"What about him?! I won't go crawling back to him!! He'll have to come crawling to me!! And when he comes he will know what rejection feels like!!! I'll make him grovel at my feet!!!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" flames burned in Shuichi's background.   
  
Hiro was looking in another direction. "Here's your chance. Here he comes now."   
  
The fire went out. Shuichi immediately hid behind Hiro. "It hasn't even been a day!!! I'm not ready to face him!!!"  
  
"Oh really Mr. 'I'll make him grovel at my feet'?"  
  
"I was joking!!"  
  
"Can't joke now."  
  
The car stopped right in front of them. This vaguely reminded Shuichi of yesterday.  
  
Yuki got out of the car and gave them both a look. "Shuichi, come with me."  
  
Shuichi gaped at him. Not this again...  
  
"Well?" Yuki waited expectantly.  
  
"Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-"  
  
"He's all yours," said Hiro, tossing Shuichi into the car through the window. "Just don't treat him to badly."  
  
Yuki got back into the car without saying a word and drove out of there.  
  
Hiro shook his head. "I hope Seguchi-san doesn't get wind of this."  
  
***  
  
Shuichi found himself back on Yuki's couch, with Yuki staring at him while drinking a beer.  
  
I don't want to be here, he thought. I don't want him to do what he did to me yesterday again...  
  
Yuki coughed. "Our conversation was a little bad yesterday-"  
  
"Of course it was!!" cried Shuichi, feeling angry all over again. "I pour out everything to you, and you throw it back in my face!!"  
  
Yuki said nothing.  
  
"Why?! Why did you do it?! I know you've been lied to, but you can trust me!! Don't you trust me?!"  
  
Yuki remained silent.  
  
Shuichi jumped to his feet. "Dammit, say something!! Or are you going to leave it at 'Or conversation was a little bad yesterday'?!"  
  
Still silent.  
  
Shuichi shook his head. "You know what? I'm leaving. Seguchi-san and Mika-san don't have to threaten me to stay away from you. I'll do it of my own free will." He turned and headed for the door.  
  
He didn't expect a strong hand to grab his arm, spin him around, and be hoisted over a shoulder.  
  
"Yuki, what are you doing?!" he yelled, struggling slightly as Yuki walked through the apartment. "Put me down!! Dammit, I'm supposed to be leaving!! Put me down now!!"  
  
Yuki did put him down, but not where Shuichi wanted to be put down. Yuki had walked into his bedroom, which was completely dark, and deposited Shuichi on the bed.  
  
Shuichi immediately sat up. "Yu-"  
  
Yuki silenced him with a kiss. A shocked strangled noise escaped Shuichi's throat. He raised a hand and grabbed Yuki's shoulder in an effort to shove him off. But his resistance faded, as did his grip.  
  
He felt lost in the deepening kiss, slowly wrapping his arms around Yuki. It had been so long since he had tasted Yuki's kisses, so long since he had felt this way...  
  
Yuki broke the kiss and leaned over him. He had leaned so deeply into the kiss that they were now laying on the bed.   
  
Shuichi absently raised a hand to his lips. "You kissed me..."  
  
"Well, why not? You'd said we were lovers."  
  
"But-"  
  
Yuki silenced him with another kiss that lasted a great deal of time. When it broke Shuichi was gasping for air. "But...I was angry with you-"  
  
Yuki started pushing up his shirt. "You can forgive me, right?"  
  
Shuichi gasped slightly when Yuki's mouth moved over the exposed skin. "B-B-But Seguchi-san-"  
  
"I told you, I make my own decisions. Now stop talking and let me do this."  
  
After that, no other words were spoken. Then again, no words were needed.  
  
Okay, Yuki was a jerk, he sought Shuichi out a little too quickly, and Tohma and Mika weren't in this chapter. Oh well. I know it dragged on and on, but I hoped I made up for it with a little lemon. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
"Sensei!!!"  
  
He was running towards someone. Someone obviously taller than he was. The face was blurred, so he didn't know who it was.  
  
"Eiri-san, did you get what you wanted?" asked the man.  
  
"Yeah!! It was on sale, too!!"  
  
"That's good. We have to get back now, though."  
  
"Okay!!!"  
  
Eiri-san? That was his name!!  
  
Was this a flashback?  
  
No one ever told him he went to New York!  
  
Who was that strange man?!  
  
***  
  
Yuki forced himself awake. He looked at his surroundings, feelings his heart pounding quickly.  
  
A dream, he thought to himself. It was only a dream...Wait, why was I in New York? As far as I knew I've spent my whole life in Japan! Maybe that was a hallucination? I don't know what's going on.  
  
He lay back down, wanting sleep to consume him again...  
  
The phone was ringing.  
  
Yuki groaned as he raised his head. He took notice of the body in bed next to him, remembering some events from the night before. He smirked to himself, reaching out to pat Shuichi on the head.  
  
Wait, the phone was still ringing.  
  
He forced himself out of bed and headed towards the phone. Wrapping a robe around himself, he picked it up. "It's 6:30 in the morning."  
  
"I'm sorry to disturb your beauty sleep," Tohma said on the other line. "But I called you last night and you never answered your phone."  
  
"I'm fine, Tohma." Yuki started to light up a cigarette.  
  
"You aren't entertaining any good 'friends', are you?"  
  
Yuki puffed on his cigarette. "Why would you care?"  
  
"I don't, Eiri-san. I just happen to know what's best for you."  
  
Yuki raised an eyebrow, though obviously couldn't see it. "Is that so?"  
  
"Of course. I know you better than anyone."  
  
Yuki decided to test that thought. "Better than anyone?"  
  
"That's what I said." Tohma was as cheerful as ever.  
  
"Can you explain to me about New York?"  
  
There was a soft gasp on the other line and Tohma was silent for a good five minutes. Then he answered, "Eiri-san, you never went to New York. Why, did someone tell you that you did?"  
  
"No, I had a dream about it."  
  
"Oh...Well, don't worry. It's only a dream."  
  
"Do I have your word on that?"  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"Well, it's been very confusing for me lately. I don't know if I'm being told truths or lies."  
  
"Why-"  
  
"You see, you told me one story about Shuichi and I believed it. However, Tatsuha and Shuichi told me a different story to yours. Which one should I believe?"  
  
"You believe MY story!! I know what's right and what's wrong!! And I know what's best for you!! Mika-san and I know what's best for you!!"  
  
Yuki took another puff. "Don't you mean what's best for the both of you?"  
  
"Eiri-san-"  
  
"Tohma, I'm twenty-two years old and an adult. I think I can tell the difference between what's right and wrong for me."  
  
Before Tohma could answer Yuki hung up on him. Then he pulled the phone cord out of the wall.   
  
When he returned to his room, Shuichi was awake and sitting up. "Was that Seguchi-san?"  
  
"Don't worry too much about it," said Yuki, finishing off his cigarette. "Tohma won't try to pull anything at this point."  
  
Shuichi sighed softly. "I hope so..."  
  
Yuki sat on the bed. "I just hope he stops calling me. I don't want to hear anymore bullshit stories."  
  
Shuichi perked up. "Does that mean you believe me?"  
  
Yuki smirked at him but said, "I don't believe anyone yet. But once I get all my memories back, I think I can find a suitable judgment."  
  
"But you brought me here!! Surely you believe something of me!!"  
  
"I think we did have something going. Let's just see what I remember in the meantime."  
  
"Okay..."  
  
***  
  
Unfortunately for Shuichi, Tohma didn't let it go lightly. He spent his day-off 'catching-up' on old times with Yuki. It left him with a sore ass, but it was worth it. Well, not too much for Shuichi, but enough.  
  
"Hi!!!!!!!!!" he squealed as he met up with his band mates.  
  
"We're still doing some final editing for 'Mizerable'," said Sakano. "But it should make its premiere next week."  
  
"Great!!!!!!! I can't wait!!!!"  
  
Hiro smiled a little. "It's good to see you cheerful again."  
  
"Of course I am!!!!! The life of a singer is by the moment!!!!! I can't stay gloomy forever; I'll scare away our fans!!!!!!"  
  
"If you live by the moment, why can't you ever finish a song on time?" muttered Suguru.  
  
"O-kay!!!!" yelled K. "Today we do planning for advertising for the new song!!!! Demo CDs, t-shirts, screensavers!!!!!"  
  
"That's a little too much," said Hiro.  
  
"Shut up!!!! Let's get going!!!"  
  
***  
  
"Do you notice anything different about me?" asked Mika.  
  
Tohma looked at her briefly before going back to his paperwork. "You've been wearing black for the past few weeks."  
  
"True. Anything else?"  
  
"No, not really."  
  
Mika sighed in disappointment. She had stuck to her resolve to not tell Tohma. But since he was hardly taking notice to her, she tried to drop in hints. Unfortunately, he wasn't picking up on them.  
  
Tohma dialed on his phone. "Hello, Sakano-san? Yes. Can you send Shindou-san up to see me? No, just him. Yes. And check to see if he's wearing any pins. All right. Bye." He hung up.  
  
"Why do you want to see Shindou-kun?" asked Mika.  
  
"It's music business, Mika-san."  
  
Mika shook her head. "I have the feeling it's not. And to prove my point I'm going to sit here and listen to your meeting."  
  
"Mika-san-"  
  
"If it pertains to Eiri, I have just as much right as you to voice my opinion. He's MY brother, you know."  
  
Tohma shook his head. "Fine. Go ahead."  
  
Mika planted herself on the couch.  
  
"I'm going to make sure I get my point across." Tohma pulled a cassette tape out of his drawer. "And no one's going to make a fool out of me." he started pulling the tape out of the cassette.  
  
"What's that?" asked Mika.  
  
"K-san blackmailed me with this. But I managed to get it in my possession. Now he can't use it against me."  
  
Mika shifted on the couch. "What exactly are you going to say to Shindou-kun?"  
  
"The usual. Stay away from Eiri-san or else."  
  
***  
  
Shuichi hesitantly entered Tohma's office. His heart was slamming against the wall of his chest. "Seguchi-san?"  
  
Tohma gave him one of his smiles. "Hello, Shindou-san."  
  
Shuichi took note of the tape strewn across the floor. And the fact that Mika was seated on the couch.   
  
He realized why he was called down and turned to leave.  
  
"Leaving already? Without hearing what I had to say?"  
  
Shuichi stopped. "We have a busy day ahead of us. I can't stay-"  
  
"You went to see Eiri-san," said Tohma. He slowly rose from his desk. "You went to see him and told him your story."  
  
Shuichi turned around. "I had to!! You told him a false story about me!! I wanted him to hear the truth?"  
  
"What truth? That he's fucking some boy who has the personality he had when he was a teenager?!"  
  
"Tohma!!" cried Mika, her voice full of shock.  
  
Shuichi backed up. "I wanted to...he cares about me-"  
  
"Cares about you?!" Tohma laughed aloud. "There's no way Eiri-san would love someone like you!! Why don't you stop being delusional?! The more he sees you, the more he'll remember Kitazawa Yuki!! This is the last time I'll warn you!!!"  
  
Shuichi clenched his fists so tightly that his nails drew blood. He was so angry!! And he was sick of being stepped on. He felt his anger boiling to the breaking point and he couldn't control it. He knew he shouldn't blow up at a person with so much power, but he was so angry. So he let his anger erupt.  
  
"What are you going to do?!" he seethed. "Kill me?! You might as well do that because that's the only thing that will EVER keep me from Yuki!!!"  
  
Tohma looked shocked.  
  
Shuichi stepped forward. "Who the hell do you think you are, telling ME who I can and cannot see?! I would expect her." He pointed to Mika. "Yuki's sibling, to tell me to not see Yuki. I certainly don't need to take orders from someone who's not even related to him!!!!!  
  
"You aren't God!!! You can't give commands and control everyone's lives as you please!!!! You say you don't want him to remember New York!!! Oh, and so manipulating his memories and feelings is any better?!?! I think it's high time you get off your high horse and stop playing God!!!!! What Yuki and I do is no one else's business but Yuki and mine!!!!!! So stop controlling him like he's a child and not a full-grown adult who is more than capable of handling his own business!!!!!!"  
  
With that said, Shuichi left his office, leaving Tohma and Mika more than speechless.  
  
He ran down the halls, feeling a weight being lifted off his shoulders. What he just did had to be the most stupid thing ever done. But it felt good to scream in his face. If he could do it over again he would.  
  
He passed Hiro in the hallway. "Shuichi-"  
  
"Gotta go!!" said Shuichi. "I think Seguchi-san's really pissed at me!!"  
  
***  
  
Mika stared at Tohma as he calmly returned to his desk. "What will you do?"  
  
Tohma sighed softly. "K-san can't blackmail me anymore because I swiped his tape. I'm going to call a press conference."  
  
***  
  
"That was stupid."  
  
"Yuuuuuuuukii!!!!!!" cried Shuichi, going all SD. "I had to!! I couldn't take it-"  
  
"Tohma can fire you, you know."  
  
"But-"  
  
Suddenly the phone rang. Yuki answered it. "Yeah? Oh." He handed Shuichi the phone. "Nakano."  
  
"Hiro?!" Shuichi grabbed the phone. "What is it?"  
  
"You really are stupid," said Hiro.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Whatever you did, I sure hope it was worth it."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"You mean you don't know?"  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"Turn on your TV. It's showing on a lot of stations." Then he hung up.  
  
Shuichi hung up the phone. "Yuki-"  
  
Yuki had the television turned on. Shuichi approached it.  
  
"...It just happened five minutes ago. We'll show it to you again."  
  
The screen switched to the pressroom in NG studios. Tohma stood behind a podium.  
  
"Thank you for showing up quickly," said Tohma. "But I needed to report this to everyone. Earlier today, Shindou Shuichi displayed improper mannerisms towards both my wife and myself over their new single 'Mizerable'. It was very clear Shuichi wasn't in his right mind at the time. Luckily, we managed to calm him down.  
  
"As much as I respect Shindou Shuichi, I cannot ignore the vulgar behavior he showed to me. As an adult I would think he would be above such childish behaviors. Therefore, until further notice, the single 'Mizerable' will not be released. Furthermore, Shindou Shuichi is suspended from NG studios indefinitely." 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
Shuichi gaped at the screen. "Suspended? Indefinitely?"  
  
Yuki turned off the television. "See?"  
  
But...but I didn't do anything-"  
  
"As far as Tohma's concerned, you've pissed him off enough to make him want to do this."  
  
Shuichi jumped to his feet. "I pissed HIM off?! HE somehow knew that we were together last night!! I wasn't about to stand there and walk all over me. He walked all over me when we first got together; he walked all over when you-" Shuichi stopped himself.  
  
"When I what?" asked Yuki.  
  
Shuichi shook his head. Now wasn't the time to mention New York. "And he walked all over me when you were in the hospital. THEN he tried to walk all over me when he found out!! I just snapped!!! He doesn't have the right to tell me whether or not I can see you!! Only YOU can make that decision, Yuki!!"  
  
Yuki sighed. "I told him that, too."  
  
Shuichi froze. "Wait...you talked to Seguchi-san?"  
  
"Yeah, this morning."  
  
"And here you are, telling me how I pissed him off when you instigated it!!!"  
  
"I didn't really instigate-"  
  
"Yes, you did!! If you hadn't told him, then I would have a job now."  
  
Yuki stood up. "Look, calm down Shuichi. Do you honestly think your band will stand for this? Certainly not your manager!! And I'm sure Tatsuha will be pretty pissed, as will Sakuma."  
  
Shuichi sighed. "It's just not fair. The way he throws around his power like this..."  
  
Yuki patted him on the head. "Though it may not look like it, the odds are in your favor. You have a lot of fans who will do anything to get your job back."  
  
"..."  
  
***  
  
"It's only temporary-"  
  
RING!!!! "Hello?! No, no. It's-"  
  
RING!!!! "Hello? A car bomb?!"  
  
Mika yanked the phone chords out of the wall. "There, that's better."  
  
Tohma sighed heavily. "I honestly don't know how some of these psychos got our home phone number!!"  
  
"Well, those psychos are Bad Luck fans."  
  
"I know that, Mika-san."  
  
Mika walked over to him. "Don't you think you're overdoing it this time?"  
  
Tohma stood up. "Of course not!! Those idiots don't even realize what kind of a person Shindou-san is!!!"  
  
"Tohma, I don't understand. Shindou-kun hasn't done any wrong-"  
  
"You don't know that!! You don't know what provoked that attacked on Eiri-san!!! You don't know if Eiri-san remembers the New York incident-"  
  
"Neither do you. Tohma, I've yet to hear any complaints from Eiri. Please, just let it go. I thought you said you'd do anything to make Eiri happy."  
  
Tohma rubbed a hand over his face. "I do, I-" he stopped. "Have you gained weight?"  
  
Mika stiffened. "What?"  
  
"Well, even with all the black you're wearing your stomach seems wider."  
  
Mika laughed a little. "Well, a little. Worrying over Eiri causes me to eat a lot."  
  
Tohma sighed. "Okay. Just take it easy."  
  
"I will." Mika was glad that Tohma finally noticed. But she knew at the present moment he had bigger things to worry about. Mainly staying on the fans' good sides.   
  
***  
  
"Goddammit!!!" yelled Tatsuha, crumbling up the newspaper. "He went too far this time!!"  
  
Ryuichi was all teary-eyed and cuddling Kumagorou. "Why would Tohma do it? Why does he have to be such a meanie?"  
  
"I honestly don't know, Ryuichi. But we have to do something about it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I need you to talk to Tohma. He certainly can't indefinitely suspend you for voicing an opinion." Tatsuha's face lit up. "Especially if Noriko's there!! Ryuichi, try to see if she'll side with you!!"  
  
Ryuichi nodded excitedly. "Noriko-chan will!! She usually sides with Tohma, but maybe she'll side with me!!"  
  
"It's worth a shot!! I'll gather a lot of people outside NG studios tomorrow. You concentrate on Tohma."  
  
"YAY!!!!!!"  
  
The next morning...  
  
Tohma glanced out his window. "How many is it now?"  
  
Sakano fidgeted. "I-I-I think three thousand."  
  
Outside the front of NG studios was a vastly growing crowd of irate Bad Luck fans. Almost all of them were wielding signs that said 'Bring back Shuichi' and Tohma guessed that some of them called his house last night with all those death threats.  
  
Tohma shook his head. "This is really starting to irritate me...Wait, is that Tatsuha?!?!"  
  
Sure enough, Tatsuha was down there, wielding a megaphone. He was shouting incoherently, but the crowd was cheering. Someone picked up a rock and threw it, smashing a window. Luckily, no one else followed suit.  
  
Tohma sat down at his desk. "Things couldn't get any worse."  
  
But they could. Sure enough, his door swung open.  
  
"KUMAGOROU BEAM!!!!!!!!!!" Ryuichi threw Kumagorou, hitting Tohma square in the head. He had used all his throwing muscle into it, so it hurt.  
  
Tohma rubbed his read. "Ryuichi-"  
  
"Tohma's a meanie!!!!" Ryuichi started bawling his eyes out. "Why did you fire Shuichi?!?! Why?! Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?!?!?!?!?"  
  
"Ryuichi, I didn't fire him. I just suspended him-"  
  
"Tohma."  
  
Tohma raised his head, managing a smile. "Noriko-san, thank goodness you're here..."  
  
Ukai Noriko forced a smile and entered the room. She picked up the bawling Ryuichi. "I'll apologize for Ryu-chan."  
  
"I'm not sorry!!!! He fired Shuichi!!!!!"  
  
"Be quiet!" she snapped to Ryuichi, who abruptly stopped crying. She turned back to Tohma. "Sorry again."  
  
"Noriko-chaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!! You said you would help meeeeeee! Why are you siding with Tohma?!"  
  
"I DID say I would help you, but I didn't say I would side with you!!"  
  
Ryuichi immediately started crying again.  
  
Noriko sighed heavily. "I'm not taking any sides. But you should reconsider, Tohma. You always told us not to let our personal lives get in the way of work. Just because you and Shindou-san have problems doesn't mean you can exercise your power and suspend him. Look at how upset everyone is."  
  
Tohma said nothing to this.  
  
"And YOU Ryuichi. Just because Tohma's your friend doesn't mean you can tell him what to do. Or to meddle in his business. What's going on is between him and Shindou-san. You can't just take sides against one of your oldest friends."  
  
"Buuuuuuuuuuuuut-"  
  
"That's all I have to say. I'm not ordering you around, Tohma. But I think you should do what's best for your company." Then she left, dragging out Ryuichi.  
  
Tohma sighed heavily. "What's best for the company..."  
  
***  
  
"Hey, Tohma's held another conference."  
  
"Eh???" Shuichi looked up. But he wasn't excited. "What, is he going to fire me now."  
  
Yuki shrugged. "Well just have to wait and see."  
  
Tohma cleared his throat. "I called this conference to discuss the decision I made last night. About suspending Shuichi indefinitely and not allowing the release of Bad Luck's single 'Mizerable'.  
  
"I've begun to realize that the decision I made was a little extreme. I am sorry for the anger I caused, but my decision was made out of anger. But due to the overwhelming negative response to my decision last night, I've decided to have a change of heart. I've decided to allow the release of Bad Luck's song 'Mizerable'."  
  
Shuichi cheered loudly and started hopping around the room. "All right!!! My song gets to be released!!!!!"  
  
"Don't celebrate just yet," said Yuki. "He still has to mention you."  
  
Shuichi stopped hopping and sat right back down. "Right."  
  
"That is all," said Tohma. He started to leave.  
  
"WHAT?!?!" wailed Shuichi. "What about my suspension?!"  
  
"What about Shindou Shuichi's suspension?" asked a reporter.  
  
Tohma stopped. "Oh yes, that. It stays on, of course."  
  
"NOOOO!!!!!!" wailed Shuichi.  
  
"I know I must do what's best for my company. But his behavior is inappropriate, and I can't excuse it. I WILL lower his suspension down from indefinitely to four weeks."  
  
"A MONTH?!?!"  
  
"Like I said, I do what's best for NG studios. And the best thing right now is to release 'Mizerable'. Shindou Shuichi getting off light isn't. Now, if you'll excuse me..." he started off while reporters yelled more questions at him.  
  
Yuki turned off the television. "That's that."  
  
Shuichi stared at the television. "A whole month without work?! What the hell am I suppose to do for a month."  
  
"I can think of something." Shuichi suddenly felt a warm hand under his shirt. "We still have some catching up to do."  
  
Shuichi immediately decided that a month off wasn't a bad idea after all.  
  
***  
  
In a darkened dilapidated apartment, a pair of shaking hands held a newspaper. Upon the newspaper had a small article titled, 'Yuki Eiri does it again!! Another best seller!!'  
  
Mayumi bit the bottom of her lip so hard that she drew blood. It filled her mouth and trailed down her chin.  
  
"God-fucking-dammit!!!" she shrieked, tearing apart the newspaper. "He should be a basket case!!!! How in the hell can he still be writing books?!?!"  
  
The pieces of newspaper fell to the floor. She was breathing heavily as she stood up; knocking over the stool she had been sitting on.  
  
"He has that fucking fabulous apartment, and I live in this shithole!!!" she knocked over a table, objects on it shattering upon impact. "It's not fucking fair!!! He's never had to work a fucking day in his life and he's living large!!! I work my ass off and THIS is what I get?!?!"  
  
Mayumi knocked over a few more things before she tired. She fell to her knees, struggling for air.  
  
I should've killed him, she thought. Beating him senseless wasn't enough. I should've beaten his head in until his brains oozed out of his ears.  
  
She got an idea.  
  
"I'll go back," she said aloud. She slowly stood up. "I can't get a job anyway, so I have nothing to lose. I'll go back and see him again."  
  
She went over to her closet, which lacked a door, and pulled, out her golf club. "I'll go and see him again. And this time, I won't leave until he's dead." 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
Despite being suspended for a whole month, the first two weeks went by in a blissful haze for Shuichi. Even if it did leave his ass sore, he didn't mind one bit.  
  
Then again, he missed doing music.  
  
"How long are you gonna play that keyboard?" asked Yuki, who was smoking a cigarette. "Doesn't that Fujisaki kid handle the keyboards?"  
  
"Well, he isn't here is he?" said Shuichi. "And I'm trying to write a new song?"  
  
"Why? 'Mizerable' is selling like crazy in Japan."  
  
"Just 'cause I'm suspended and my newest song is doing great doesn't mean I should slack off." Shuichi jumped to his feet. "I will try my hardest so that Bad Luck conquers all!!!" he started laughing maniacally while a fire raged in the background.  
  
Yuki used a fire extinguisher on him. "Please shut up."  
  
"AGH!! It's cold!!"  
  
"It's a fire extinguisher. It's supposed to be cold."  
  
***  
  
"Ah, hell."  
  
Mika tightened the belt around her waist. As the days wore on her pants became smaller and smaller. Or maybe it was because she was becoming bigger and bigger?  
  
She gave up on tightening her belt and went for her coat. Tohma had gone to work very early today. He had already left before she had woken up.  
  
Does he know? she wondered, glancing at the mirror again. Or maybe he's just distant because he thinks he's losing Eiri.  
  
That thought caused her to wince. The night before Tohma had called Yuki to check up on him. Usually their conversations lasted about five minutes. This was barely thirty seconds.  
  
She shook her head as she pulled on her coat. She was wearing so much black lately that some people thought she was in mourning. That was completely far from the truth, though.  
  
She smoothed out her hair and sighed. Tohma had been upset that Yuki didn't want to talk to him. She suspected that her brother knew that Tohma had lied to him about Shuichi. Nonetheless, she was going to go see Yuki. If Yuki was angry about it, she would have to try to play mediator.  
  
Like she always did.  
  
Shaking her head, Mika picked up her purse and headed for the front door. Looks like she would have to yell at her brother again.  
  
***  
  
"Hey, I know that girl!!"  
  
Ryuichi, who was busying himself coloring on the floor, looked up. "Hmm?"  
  
"I'm watching some rerun soap operas," said Tatsuha. "I don't know why, but this got my attention."  
  
Ryuichi stopped coloring and crawled over. "Who?"  
  
"That girl." He pointed to the screen. A girl with black hair and a flat face was doing some terrible acting. "Mayumi. She went out with Aniki once."  
  
"I thought Shuichi goes out with Aniki," said Ryuichi.  
  
"He is now," said Tatsuha, blushing over the fact that Ryuichi called Yuki 'Aniki'. "But he dated this girl years ago. She was only with him to get a part in this soap opera. But apparently her character was killed off so she's out of work."  
  
"That's bad."  
  
"Not really. She was a major bitch to me. To everyone in fact. I'm not saying I'm glad she's out of a job, but she didn't deserve the job. She wasn't even that great of an actress; that blonde supermodel acts better than she does."  
  
Ryuichi nodded slowly. Then he grabbed Tatsuha hand. "Come color with me!!!"  
  
Tatsuha brightened. "All right!!"  
  
***  
  
"A double date?!" Shuichi spoke into the phone.  
  
Hiro laughed slightly. "Ayaka-chan is coming in from Kyoto. And Suguru finally got the gull to ask Ami out. We'll be meeting at Zenny's. Wanna join us?"  
  
Shuichi glanced at Yuki's closed door. As the days passed Yuki was gradually gathering his memories. He still couldn't remember the New York incident, though his old attitude was resurfacing. Shuichi didn't mind, as it showed that Yuki was getting better. Sort of.  
  
"I'll see you in ten minutes," said Shuichi.  
  
"Hell, why not bring Yuki down?"  
  
"I don't think he'd go for that, Hiro."  
  
"True, true. Well, I'll see you in ten." Then he hung up.  
  
Shuichi hung up. He headed towards Yuki's study and knocked. "Yuki?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'm going to meet Hiro somewhere, so I'll be back later."  
  
"All right."  
  
Shuichi smiled as he shrugged on his coat. He left the apartment quickly, and in the hallway encountered someone.  
  
"Hi, Mika-san!!" he greeted.  
  
Mika forced a smile. "Is my brother in?"  
  
"Yep!! He's working on a novel!!"  
  
"Good. Bye, Shindou-kun." She walked past him and headed into Yuki's apartment.  
  
Shuichi continued on his way.  
  
***  
  
"The Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music?" asked Suguru.  
  
Ami nodded. "I'm only a junior in high school, but I've already sent in my application. I hope I get a call back from them."  
  
"I'm sure you will!!"  
  
"What did you put on your resume, Nayuta-san?" asked Ayaka.  
  
As Ami rattled off all the things she's done with her violin, Hiro directed his attention to a bored Shuichi. "Bored?"  
  
Shuichi snapped out of a trance. "Huh? Not really. I'm just thinking."  
  
"About Yuki?"  
  
"Yeah. He's gradually getting his memories back. And since he's gradually becoming an asshole again..."  
  
"He might remember something that shouldn't be remembered?"  
  
"Aa."  
  
"Don't worry about it."  
  
"I didn't approve of Seguchi-san manipulating his memories, but...I really don't want him to remember what happened in the past."  
  
"Shuichi, even if no one wants to, the memories WILL come to him eventually. Even if they are bad, wouldn't it be better if he remembers then at a time when he's prepared for the memories?"  
  
"I don't think he'd ever be prepared for those memories."  
  
Hiro said nothing to this.  
  
"And since I was first-chair in my school for so long, the producers of 'Early Hours' decided to give me a guest spot."  
  
"Really?" said Ayaka.  
  
"It was very brief; only for about five minutes. And you don't really see me in that episode; only the back of my head. But it was worth it as a made a good sum of money."  
  
"My mom watches that show," said Shuichi. "If she likes it, it must be pretty corny."  
  
"Most soap operas are. But the episode almost didn't air."  
  
"How come?" asked Hiro.  
  
"Well, one of the actresses kept having these temper tantrums. She was whining because she wasn't in a lot of shots in the scenes she was in."  
  
"What was her character like?"  
  
"A single mom working at the night club in the scene I was in. I heard how the stagehands couldn't stand her because she kept disrupting the set. But her character was popular with the audiences, so the writers killed her off dramatically."  
  
"So she's a good actress?" asked Suguru.  
  
"Not really. Her smiles were too faked and her temper was always out of control. In scenes where she was suppose to be happy she was miserable."  
  
"Eek," said Shuichi.  
  
"How did she land the job?" asked Hiro.  
  
"Apparently she got it due to spotlight on her from a relationship," said Ami. "Some people wondered how she got into a relationship because of her personality."  
  
"What was her name?" asked Ayaka.  
  
"Um, ah...Mayumi-something."  
  
"Do you think you can just walk out?!" a female voice boomed.  
  
Everyone turned his or her heads. On a monitor a woman with black hair and a flat face was portrayed.  
  
"That's her!!" said Ami. "That must be a rerun."  
  
"THAT'S her?" said Hiro. "She looks like a psycho!"  
  
Shuichi stared at the woman on the screen, the wheels in his head turning. Where did he see...?  
  
"Oh, I remember!!" said Ami. "She went out with Yuki Eiri! You know, that popular writer? At the time one of his novels was becoming a bestseller and she used that spotlight to get the job!!"  
  
Hiro raised an eyebrow, a 'why am I not surprised' expression on his face.  
  
Shuichi continued to stare at the woman, trying to place her somewhere...  
  
"Have you met her?" Ami asked Shuichi.   
  
"I think so," said Shuichi. Then it came to him. "Oh yeah!! I met her when I-" he froze. That was the same day Yuki had been attacked. Immediately the images entered his brain.  
  
["I-I'm sorry!!" gasped Shuichi, jumping to his feet to help the woman up. "I wasn't looking where I was going."  
  
The woman forced a smile. She had black hair and was faintly pretty, but her face was too flat. "It's no problem. I'm in quite a hurry myself."  
  
Shuichi nodded and started running past her. "Well, I gotta go!!"]  
  
Why was she at Yuki's apartment? And didn't she have something...  
  
He remembered the police saying Yuki had been hit with a blunt object several times. And Mayumi had something with her...a golf club, or something.  
  
Realization dawned on him. "Holy shit!!"  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Hiro.  
  
"That girl!!" he pointed at the screen. "I ran into her on the day Yuki was attacked outside his apartment building!! And she had a golf club!!"  
  
Everyone froze.  
  
"Are you saying that Mayumi attacked Yuki?" asked Suguru.  
  
"I'd believe it," said Ami. "Mayumi's temper is so terrible. She attacked a stage hand because they didn't bring her espresso fast enough."  
  
Shuichi stood up. "How could I have forgotten that?! Shit, she might attack Yuki again!!"  
  
"Why?" asked Ayaka.   
  
"She didn't succeed in killing him last time!! I gotta go!!"  
  
"Should I call the police?" asked Hiro.   
  
"Even if it is true," said Ami. "There isn't any hard evidence that Mayumi will attack again. If you call they might not do anything."  
  
Shuichi yanked out his cell phone. "I'll call Tatsuha-san and he'll call Seguchi-san and Mika-san!! They'll know what to do!!"  
  
"I'll drive you," said Hiro. He turned to Ayaka. "I'm sorry-"  
  
"It's fine," said Ayaka. "Just save Eiri-san, okay?"  
  
They both ran out of Zenny's. Shuichi dialed up Tatsuha.  
  
"Tatsuha-san, get in contact with Seguchi-san and Mika-san!! We just found out who attacked Yuki, and she's gonna do it again!!!"  
  
***  
  
"Why not make amends?" asked Mika.  
  
Yuki puffed on a cigarette. "Onee-san, I respect Tohma. I really do. But it doesn't change the fact that he tried to manipulate me. And I don't like that."  
  
"But he did it for a good reason-"  
  
Yuki shook his head. "I'm not a child. Neither you nor Tohma have the right to decide what's good for me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."  
  
"But Eiri-"  
  
A knock at the door interrupted her. Yuki stood up.  
  
"Can you get that?" he asked. He headed back into his study. "I'm going back to work." He closed the door behind him.  
  
Mika folded her arms over her stomach and shook her head. She didn't like how Eiri was returning back to his 'asshole attitude'.   
  
"Do I look like a maid?" she fumed to herself, heading for the front door. "Certainly not..."  
  
She unfolded one of her arms and reached for the handle. She didn't bother looking through the peephole as she opened the front door. "Can I-"  
  
She never finished her sentence. She briefly saw a woman before a golf club filled her vision and slammed into the wrist wrapped around her stomach. It was a blow no doubt intended for her stomach. The woman had used all her strength in that swing, and Mika heard the bone shatter in her wrist. She opened her mouth to scream a warning to Yuki, but the woman raised the golf club and struck her in her left temple, silencing her scream. She crumbled to the floor, the blow to her head knocking her unconscious.   
  
***  
  
Yuki choked on cigarette smoke. What was that?  
  
He had heard two strange thuds, followed by a loud thud. Then the front door closed.   
  
He stood up and went to the door of his study. Opening it, he was greeted by a terrible shock.  
  
A woman with black hair was there. One hand wielded a golf club; the other had a hold of Mika's wrist. She dragged Mika's unconscious body from the entrance hallway to the main area. Yuki was able to get a close look at his sister. He winced at the purple and blue mark on the side of her head with specks of blood running down her face. Her wrist was lopsided, and Yuki knew that it was broken.  
  
"Yuki Eiri," she hissed, readying her golf club. "Your time has come." 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
Yuki eyed the woman who wielded the golf club, and his unconscious sister. He didn't need a rocket scientist to tell him that he was in a bad situation.  
  
"Just hold still," said the woman, raising her golf club. "And it won't hurt too much."  
  
Yuki shook his head, trying to comprehend the situation. This woman attacked Mika. Now she wanted to attack him.  
  
There was still something he didn't understand.  
  
"Who are you anyways?" he asked.  
  
***  
  
"Dammit!!!" yelled Shuichi.  
  
"Yelling won't get us out of traffic," said Hiro.  
  
Yes, they were stuck in traffic. One lone motorcycle amongst the hundreds of cars honking their horns.  
  
"We have to get to Yuki!!" wailed Shuichi. "I won't be able to bear it if he gets hurt again!!! Or even dies!!"  
  
"Was there anyone with Yuki when you left?"  
  
"Um...oh, Mika-san stopped by his house. And you know how persistent she can be."  
  
"There you go. Do you think she'll let anything happen to her brother?"  
  
"Of course not!!"  
  
"Then relax. Once we're out of this traffic we can get to them. They're probably picking her apart now."  
  
"Yep!! Yuki wouldn't let anyone beat him up again!!"  
  
***  
  
The golf club trembled in fury.  
  
"Don't pull that bullshit again!!!" Mayumi shrieked, swinging at him. Yuki stepped out of the way, but didn't reach for the golf club when he had the chance. "Always acting like you don't know me!!!"  
  
"I have amnesia," said Yuki. "I don't know too many things. I'd like to know what I did to piss you off so much that you would come out here, attack my sister, and then try to attack me."  
  
"You ruined my career!!! I live in a shit apartment while you live in fucking glamour!!!!!"  
  
"Wait, how is that my fault? If you suck so much at your job, why blame me?"  
  
Mayumi shrieked, swinging at him again. "Do the words, 'she isn't that great, and she doesn't deserve such a job' ring a bell?!?! You said those during an interview, and then I get fired from 'Early Hours'!!!!! My life is ruined, so I'm ending yours!!!!!"  
  
Yuki dodged the swings, barely missing tripping over Mika's still unconscious body. Finally he saw an opening and grabbed the golf club before it could hit him.  
  
"You losing your job isn't my fault," he growled, trying to yank it out of her hands. "It's not my decision, but the executives of that show. Now I'd appreciate it if you stopped this. My sister needs medical assistance right now, and-"  
  
Yuki broke off when Mayumi kneed him in the groin. He let out a loud gasp and let go of the golf club. She swung the golf club and struck him as hard as she could in the back. Yuki fell to the floor and barely got his arm up in time to block a blow intended for his head.  
  
"Die!!!!!!!" Mayumi shrieked, raising her golf club again, this time it met its mark.  
  
***  
  
"So what you're telling me is that some crazed psycho who used to be Eiri-san's girlfriend caused his injuries?" asked Tohma.  
  
Tatsuha nodded. "It's Mayumi. Shuichi spotted her outside Aniki's apartment the day of the attack."  
  
"Why didn't he tell us this?"  
  
"It probably wasn't significant at the time!! You see, Shuichi wasn't at fault about the killing!!! Mayumi is just blaming Aniki for her career plunge!!!"  
  
"I never said Shindou-san was at fault."  
  
"'You know it's your fault. Eiri-san's attacker was no doubt someone who didn't approve of their relationship. So then it's Shindou-san's fault.' Do those words sound familiar?!"  
  
Tohma flushed angrily. "That's enough. Now isn't the time to point out the little details." He shuffled papers on his desk. "Have you contacted Mika-san?"  
  
Tatsuha shook her head. "I've tried her cell phone and your home phone. No one's picking up at either."  
  
Tohma raised an eyebrow. "Mika-san almost never shuts off her cell phone. Let me try." Tohma pulled out his cell phone and turned it on. "Oh, I have a message."   
  
"Forget the message and call Onee-san!!!" snapped Tatsuha.  
  
Tohma ignored him and listened to the message. His face grew pale immediately and the cell phone slipped from his hand.  
  
"What is it?!" demanded Tatsuha. He reached for the fallen cell phone and replayed the message. His insides turned cold.  
  
["Hello, Tohma?" it was Mika's voice. "I'm going over to see Eiri. I'll try and talk to him. Hopefully things can be straightened out between you two. I'll see you later."] Then the message ended.  
  
Tatsuha shut off the phone. "If that psycho bitch is on the loose. And Onee-san is at Aniki's house..."  
  
Tohma picked up his desk phone. "I'm calling the police."  
  
Tatsuha jumped up. "You DO believe me!!!"  
  
"I have reason to believe that my brother-in-law and my wife are in danger. Let's hope I'm wrong."  
  
***  
  
Mika groaned from her place on the floor. Yuki eyed her as he was being tied up. Mayumi had tied Mika up, as well.  
  
"Does this ring any bells?" hissed Mayumi as she finished tying him up. "I did this several weeks ago. I took such pleasure in causing you pain. Now I'll take even greater pleasure in killing you."  
  
Yuki glared at her. "Great. You're going to kill me before I remember everything?"  
  
Mayumi kicked him in the ribs. "Life sucks." She raised her golf club. "As you are about to find out."  
  
***  
  
"We're still in traffic!!!!!" wailed Shuichi.  
  
"Shuichi, Yuki's apartment is five minutes away," said Hiro. "I think you should run there. At this rate I won't be getting out of this traffic any time soon."  
  
Shuichi eyed Hiro. "You sure, Hiro?"  
  
"Yeah, go on ahead!! I'll call the police, you try and stop that psycho!!"  
  
"Okay!!" Shuichi hopped off Hiro's motorcycle and took off running as fast as he could.  
  
Hiro yanked out his cell phone and dialed up. "Hello, police?"  
  
***  
  
Mika drifted out of her unconscious haze awake. Her head hurt so much, and her wrist...  
  
She blinked several times, but couldn't find focus. She saw a dark blob, which looked like the woman who attacked her. And she was...  
  
Mika tried to sit up, but to no avail. She realized she was tied up. But she had to act. That woman...  
  
"You leave my brother alone!!!" Mika ground out, trying to maneuver over to Yuki.  
  
The woman stopped hitting Yuki and came over to Mika. She saw a brief flash before her entire face exploded in pain. The woman had kicked her in the face.  
  
"Keep your mouth shut or you'll share his fate!!!!" the woman snapped.  
  
Mika felt blood running down her face from her nose. It was broken. "You won't hurt my brother while I'm alive!!!!"  
  
The woman shook her head. "You really are stupid."  
  
Mika realized the woman was going to kick her in the stomach. She quickly rolled onto her other side, the blow landing on her back. It still hurt, but she had protected her stomach.  
  
"Don't you turn away from me!!!!!" Mika felt a dull pain in the back of her head. She had been kicked again. The blow to her already aching head caused her to lose consciousness again.  
  
***  
  
Shuichi felt relieved when he saw Yuki's apartment building. He kicked open the door and ran up the flight of stairs. No time for elevators.  
  
"Hang on, Yuki!!! Hang on, Mika-san!!!" he gasped as he tore up the stairs. "I'm coming!!!!!" He finally reached Yuki's floor and ran for his door. To his dismay it was locked.  
  
He pounded on the door. "Yuki?! Mika-san?!"  
  
He heard shuffling behind the door, but nothing else. He pounded harder. "Yuki?! Mika-san?! It's me!!! Please open the door!!!"  
  
He fiddled with his keys, finding the right key. He unlocked the door and headed inside.  
  
Silence greeted him. As did the smell of copper.  
  
Bad memories flooded his senses. Was he too late again?!  
  
He entered the main room, and shrieked.  
  
Both Mika and Yuki lay unconscious on the floor. He was relieved to see that Yuki's wounds were nowhere near as severe as last time.  
  
He ran over to them, kneeling beside Yuki first. He untied Yuki's wrist and then his feet. "Don't worry, Yuki!!! I'm getting Mika-san and you out of here!!!!"  
  
There was one thing Shuichi misjudged.  
  
The presence of the villain.  
  
He had a seconds warning from a shadow falling over him. He moved out of the way before something could hit him in the head. He quickly stood and faced the perpetrator.  
  
It was Mayumi, wielding her golf club.  
  
Shuichi raised his hands. "Easy, Mayumi-san."  
  
"You must be Eiri's little fucktoy," said Mayumi. She raised her golf club. "I've heard that you are stupid, but not so much. You realize you let me go that one time?"  
  
Shuichi nodded. He had to keep calm. She took down Mika and Yuki; she wouldn't hesitate with him. "I'll let you get away again."  
  
Mayumi's eyes widened. "What?!"  
  
"I'll let you walk out of here right now, and I won't tell the cops it was you. Just promise me you won't ever go near Yuki again."  
  
Mayumi lowered her golf club. "I guess you aren't that stupid."  
  
Shuichi sighed in relief.  
  
Mayumi recovered and swung her golf club. "Maybe you are!!!!!" before Shuichi could act she struck him in the knee. Shuichi yelped in pain and collapsed to the floor. "Now stay out of my way. I'm going to kill Eiri!!!!!!"  
  
Shuichi cried softly, holding his knee. No doubt the bone was fractured.  
  
But he couldn't let that woman hurt Yuki. Not ever again.   
  
So he started laughing hysterically.  
  
Mayumi glared at him. "What the fuck's so funny?!"  
  
Shuichi painfully sat up. "What that suppose to hurt?! I feel more pain when Yuki hits me around!!!"  
  
Mayumi swung her golf club, striking him in the shoulder. "Zip it!!!!"  
  
The pain was unbearable, but Shuichi tried not to let it show. So he laughed harder. "Being gang raped was a nightmare compared to this!!!! C'mon, is that all you got?!?!"  
  
"You little fucker!!!!" Mayumi struck him square in the head. "I'll teach you how to shut up!!!" she beat his head in several times.  
  
The pain was too much, and he was losing consciousness. But he still giggled. Tears were streaming down his face, but he had to buy time. Yuki was untied, and he would surely wake up any minute. "Your strikes are like your looks; they both suck!!!"  
  
"That's it, you're dead!!!" she continued to beat him in the head.  
  
***  
  
Yuki was drifting somewhere. He didn't know where but...it was somewhere.  
  
He saw flashes before him. Of times he didn't know existed.  
  
"Sensei!!!!!!"  
  
New York. Being sixteen.  
  
Yuki Kitazawa.  
  
His sensei.  
  
His first love.  
  
The man he killed.  
  
He saw that night. Being sold for ten dollars to two men by his sensei.  
  
Stealing the gun one of them had.  
  
Shooting his sensei dead.  
  
Shooting his first love dead.  
  
Yuki squeezed his eyes shut. If these were part of his memories, he didn't want to remember them.  
  
"Why are you running away?"  
  
He opened his eyes. It was himself at the age of sixteen. Except that once innocent face was hardened.  
  
"Look at yourself," he said. "Look at who you use to be. Look at who you became. Do you think you are the only one who's had tragedy in his life?"  
  
"I'm sure I'm the only one who shot someone I loved the most dead," answered Yuki. "It was my fault anyway."  
  
"Was it your fault that you lost amnesia?" asked his younger self. "Was it your fault you fell in love with someone who belongs with you?"  
  
"You mean Shuichi? I don't belong with him. I don't deserve him. I don't-"  
  
"I don't, I don't, I don't!!!!! It's always about you!!!! Can't you see how much he loves you?!?! How much you love him?!?!"  
  
Yuki let out a shaky sigh.  
  
"Shuichi's life is in danger while you lie here in your memories. Are you going to let someone you love slip away from you so easily?"  
  
Yuki shook his head. He hated when Shuichi got hurt. If Shuichi got hurt it was usually his fault.  
  
"Then you must wake up. You have your memories back, even the bad ones! Don't let him die while you stew here!!!"  
  
***  
  
Yuki's eyes opened. Despite the blows to his head he saw things very clearly.  
  
Mayumi. Standing over Shuichi.  
  
Shuichi!!  
  
Shuichi was in terrible shape. So much blood, so many bruises...  
  
Yuki felt rage build up in him. He formed himself into a readying position and lunged at Mayumi. He knocked her to the floor and her golf club flew out of her hands.  
  
Yuki grabbed a fistful of her hair and pounded her skull into the floor until she stopped struggling. Sighing heavily he forced himself to his feet and grabbed the golf club. He stood over Mayumi's slightly twitching form and raised the golf club.  
  
"Die," he hissed, swinging it down.  
  
"Stop, Eiri-san!!!!"  
  
Yuki stopped the golf club just inches from Mayumi's skull. He raised his head. Tohma stood there with many armed police officers.  
  
"Do you see what she did?!" hissed Yuki, motioning to Mika and Shuichi.  
  
Tohma looked at Mika and a strange expression crossed his face before it returned to calm. "Calm down, Eiri-san. It's over. She won't do this again."  
  
Tatsuha walked over to Yuki and took the golf club from his hands. "We'll take care of Onee-san and Shuichi. Don't worry."  
  
Yuki shook his head and turned his attention to Shuichi. Officers went to Mayumi and handcuffed her. Yuki knelt beside Shuichi's unmoving form, trying to see his face behind all the blood.  
  
"It's over, Shuichi," he murmured. "I have my memories back."  
  
Shuichi gave him no response. He was quickly lifted onto a stretcher and was taken from the room, as was Mika.  
  
"Looks like another trip to the hospital," said Yuki, leaning on Tatsuha for support.  
  
Tatsuha smiled sadly. "Yeah, looks like it." 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
Much to Yuki's disdain, he was directed to lie on a stretcher once he was outside the apartment building. There were ambulances and police cars all over the place. He watched Shuichi and Mika be lifted up into separate ambulances. Hiro climbed in after Shuichi and Tohma climbed in after Mika.  
  
"I'll ride with you, Aniki," said Tatsuha, climbing in the ambulance after Yuki.  
  
"Do what you want," said Yuki.  
  
Tatsuha laughed a little, shaking his head. "Count on you to have a bad sense of humor at a time like this."  
  
***  
  
The waiting room in the hospital was overcrowded with people. Shuichi's family, his band, all the members of Nittle Grasper, and everyone else was packed into that tiny waiting room. All of them wanted to know about Shuichi, Mika, and Yuki. Since they all came in together the doctors decided to announce their conditions all at the same time.  
  
"Onii-chan, please be all right," whimpered Maiko, tears spilling down her face. She buried her face into her hands.  
  
"What's taking so long?!" muttered Hiro, glancing at his watch for the thousandth time. "Shit, if it's taking this long to help Shuichi..."  
  
"Don't worry," assured Ayaka. "The doctors said they would announce all their conditions together. He's probably fine and just waiting on everyone else."  
  
"..."  
  
"I can't believe this happened," said Ami. "I mean, Mayumi attacked ALL of them terribly..."  
  
"They'll put through," said Suguru. "They're all too strong to be taken down by some crazy bitch."  
  
"I guess so. I'll put my faith in them."  
  
"What's going to happen to that woman?" asked Noriko.  
  
Tohma raised his head. Despite his brother-in-law and wife being in the emergency room he was oddly calm. "Mayumi? I spoke with the police officers that arrested her. They want to charge her three counts attempted murder; twice for Eiri-san and one for Shindou-san. One charge assault for Mika-san. And assault with a dangerous instrument, which would be the golf club. But she's completely crazed. She could get off by reason of insanity and either spend a few years in a mental institution or just be let go."  
  
"Can they do that? Just let her go?!"  
  
"Yes and no. Eiri-san is a very popular romance writer. Shindou-san is a famous rock star. Mika-san is my wife and I happen to be a famous rock star and owner of a famous record company. She might get charged due to our status. However, our status could also be used against us and she could be let go."  
  
"I hope she gets charged for what she did."  
  
"..."  
  
Sakano sighed sadly. "Somehow I feel that this could've been avoided..."  
  
K shrugged. "Mayumi wasn't ever considered a suspect. If Nayuta-san hadn't given us vital facts we wouldn't have guessed her. Either way, this was unavoidable."  
  
"I still feel like more could've been done."  
  
"That doesn't mean she can get away with it."  
  
"What are you-"  
  
K pulled out a sniper gun. "ALL RIGHT, IT'S HUNTING SEASON!!!! WHO WANTS TO HUNT THAT BITCH?!?!"  
  
"Are you crazy?!" exclaimed Sakano. "She's in police custody!! You can't just march into a police station and kill her!!!"  
  
"Watch me!! Anyone in?!"  
  
Maiko stood up. "That bitch will pay for what she did to Onii-chan." She raised a hand. "Give me a gun!! I'll help you!!"  
  
"Maiko!!" cried her mother.  
  
"Give me a gun too!!!" yelled Tatsuha. "No one hurts Aniki and Onee-san and gets away with it!!!"  
  
"Ooh, this looks like fun!!" squealed Ryuichi. He waved his arms. "K, I wanna have fun too!!!"  
  
Everyone's voice raised higher as more people screamed for guns.   
  
Maiko's parents sought some form of sanity.   
  
"Hiro-kun, say something!!" said her mother.  
  
Hiro raised his head. "All right, I will." He raised a hand. "K-san, give me a gun too!!!"  
  
"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!!!!!!!!!" K yelled in English.  
  
"You're all crazy!!" cried Maiko's father.  
  
"Ahem."  
  
Over all the yelling someone clearing their throat stopped the yelling. Everyone turned to see two doctors. One looked downright annoyed the other looked a little scared.   
  
"I take it all of you are the family of Uesugi Eiri, Shindou Shuichi, and Seguchi Mika?" asked the annoyed one.  
  
Everyone confirmed the question.  
  
"I'm Dr. Atari," said the annoyed one. "This is Dr. Saraga. I'll now go over the conditions of each of these people."  
  
Everyone held his or her breath as Dr. Atari held up one of three clipboards in his arms.  
  
"Uesugi Eiri has suffered a concussion," he stated. "But it hasn't triggered any negative responses from his previous injuries. Other than the concussion he's fine. We ask that he remains here for rest and we'll release him next week."  
  
There was a collective sigh of relief amongst the large crowd of people.   
  
Dr. Atari handed the clipboard to Dr. Saraga and raised the second one. "Seguchi Mika has also suffered a concussion. Her occipital lobe suffered some damage, so her eyesight will be affect. Her left wrist bone was shattered, and she suffered a broken nose. We request that she remain here for the next several weeks until she's made a full recovery."  
  
There was a ripple of shudders throughout the crowd. Everyone knew that Mika was a strong-willed woman, but it was unknown how she would take to this news.  
  
Dr. Atari handed that clipboard to Dr. Saraga and raised the last one. He hesitated before immediately starting, and everyone noticed this. A chill passed through everyone as they could tell this news was very bad.  
  
"Shindou Shuichi has suffered massive head trauma. His skull is cracked a few inches above his left ear. The temporal lobe there has also been damaged so his hearing will be affected. His right knee suffered a compound fracture, and his left shoulder has been dislocated. We highly recommend that he remain here for several months."  
  
A stunned silence followed this. No one knew what to say or how to react to this news.  
  
Shuichi's family stepped forward. "Is he in a coma?" asked his mother.  
  
"No," said Dr. Atari. "But he's heavily sedated. He won't be awake for another few hours."  
  
"Can we see him?" asked Maiko.  
  
"Only the immediate family. You three are so you may go see him. The immediate family members of Uesugi Eiri and Seguchi Mika may go see them. Everyone else will have to wait here."  
  
There were groans of protest and several curses. Dr. Atari ignored all of them. "Dr. Saraga, I'm going to show the Shindou family to Shindou Shuichi's room. Can you take everything from here?"  
  
"Yessir," said Dr. Saraga, slightly less intimidated. He turned to the crowd. "Um, the immediate family members may follow me."  
  
"I'll go see Aniki," said Tatsuha. He turned to Ryuichi. "Wanna come with me?"  
  
"HAI!!!!" cried Ryuichi, glomping Tatsuha.  
  
"Um, Uesugi Eiri is in room 219," said Dr. Saraga, watching them run down the hall. Wow, that's Sakuma Ryuichi!! he thought. I own all the Nittle Grasper CDs, been to three of their concerts-  
  
"I'd like to see my wife," said Tohma, interrupting his thoughts.  
  
"I'll show you where she is," said Dr. Saraga, leading Tohma down the hall. "Oh, and Dr. Atari wanted me to assure you as her husband that though she endured a lot the baby is safe."  
  
Tohma quickly stopped. "What?!"  
  
"Um, her injuries haven't affected the baby at all so you don't have to worry-"  
  
Tohma grabbed him by his collar. "Baby?! What baby?!"  
  
"D-D-Don't you know? Your wife is four months pregnant."  
  
Tohma let go of him. Mika-san was pregnant? And she didn't ever tell him in all these months?!  
  
Suddenly fragments of past conversations roared in his ears.  
  
["I went to see my doctor today to see if I was sick."  
  
"Mika-san, why would you do that?! You've been rather healthy lately."  
  
"Look at me, I'm as white as a ghost!! And I HAVE mentioned to you about my condition, but you've been too wrapped up in your work to care!!"  
  
"Do you notice anything different about me?"  
  
"Have you gained weight?"]  
  
She's been trying to tell me all this time, he realized. But I've been so wrapped up in so many different things I never even took the time to actually notice!!  
  
He sighed heavily. "Take me to my wife."  
  
***  
  
"KUMAGOROU BEAM!!!!!!" cried Ryuichi, throwing Kumagorou at a pitcher of water.  
  
Yuki glared at him. "Why the hell did you bring THAT to my hospital room?!"  
  
"He's part of the family," said Tatsuha. Yuki's deadly glare told him it was a good idea to change the subject. "So, how're you feeling?"  
  
"Fine. I've regained all my memories."  
  
"Really? All of them?"  
  
"Yes, even what happened in New York."  
  
Tatsuha shifted feet uncomfortably. "Aniki-"  
  
"I'll be fine. I can deal with it. I AM an adult after all."  
  
Tatsuha laughed nervously. "Yeah, I know."  
  
Yuki fixed his glare on the machines around him and the hook-ups in his arms. "This is all unnecessary. I just have a concussion."  
  
"They're just worried about you. They ARE doctors, after all."  
  
Yuki rolled his eyes, then winced at the pain it caused. "So, how is everything?"  
  
"Onee-san is hurt badly too. She's got a concussion, a broken nose, a broken wrist, and something's up with her brain that her eyesight screwed up."  
  
"And Shuichi?"  
  
Tatsuha froze. "Um-"  
  
"Um what?!"  
  
"Shuichi's bad." Came Ryuichi's voice from the corner. Tatsuha and Yuki gaped at him, noting at how serious he was.  
  
"How bad?" asked Yuki, not bothering to hide the fear he felt.  
  
"Very bad."  
  
"Dammit, tell me!! I saw what his wounds looked like, for fuck's sake!! Is he going to be all right?!?!"  
  
Tatsuha decided to speak. "He has a dislocated shoulder."  
  
"And?!"  
  
"And he has a compound fracture in his knee."  
  
"Shit!!!" Yuki tried to sit up, but a dizzy spell hit him. "Tell me what else!!"  
  
Tatsuha opened his mouth but nothing came out. He didn't know how he was going to tell his brother this...  
  
But Ryuichi stepped forward. Never had Tatsuha ever seen Ryuichi look so coldly serious. He wasn't even cuddling Kumagorou; it hung at his side.  
  
"Shuichi suffered head trauma," said Ryuichi. "Bad head trauma. They say his head is cracked and his temporal lobe is damaged, so his hearing is bad."  
  
Yuki sat there in stunned silence until he started pulling the hook-ups out of his arms.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?!" cried Tatsuha, rushing to his brother's side.  
  
"Going to see Shuichi," said Yuki, ignoring the blood running down his arms from where the hook-ups had been. "I have to see him."  
  
"You have a concussion!! You-"  
  
"That's why you're going to get me there. Look, I'd help you if Sakuma there was injured and you wanted to see him."  
  
"No you wouldn't!!"  
  
"...You're right. But just do me this favor."  
  
"Aniki-"  
  
Ryuichi walked over and put one of Yuki's arms behind his head, ignoring the blood that was no doubt soaking into his hair. He helped Yuki stand up. "Tatsuha, help me. Yuki's going to see Shuichi."  
  
Tatsuha sighed, taking Yuki's other side. There was no way he could refuse a request from Ryuichi. "And do you know where he is?"  
  
"Yes, actually," said Yuki as the two helped him stand. "I'll direct you both."  
  
***  
  
Maiko looked at Shuichi from on the other side of the glass. Due to his current state they were advised to avoid entering his room just yet.   
  
She had calmed down a few minutes ago, though seeing her brother lying there was nearly throwing her into hysterics again.  
  
I don't know what's worse, she thought sorrowfully. The bandages covering him or the tubes sticking out his head.   
  
She turned to her mother, who was still crying hysterically. She had to get her to calm down...  
  
"At least he's still alive," she offered.  
  
This caused her mother to wail louder.  
  
"Is this where Shindou Shuichi is?" asked a voice next to her. She turned, recognizing Yuki Eiri and Sakuma Ryuichi, but not the third one. He and Ryuichi were keeping Yuki steady on his feet.  
  
Maiko's mother looked up. "What? Yuki Eiri? Can I have your autograph?"  
  
Maiko rolled her eyes. Even while sobbing hysterically her mother was a fangirl. "He's there." she pointed to the room beyond the glass. She turned back to the glass so she wouldn't see their faces.  
  
Please Onii-chan, she pleaded to her sedated brother. Please make a full recovery and come back to us...  
  
***  
  
Yuki stared stunned at the sleeping boy in the other room. Never had he seen Shuichi so...destroyed. Not even when he had been raped.  
  
This is all my fault, he thought, tears starting to fall from his eyes. Mayumi was only after ME, yet I pulled my sister and my lover into MY mess. She's hurt us all so terribly, and I was her original target...  
  
He unwound his arm from Ryuichi's shoulders and touched the glass. He caressed the glass where it showed Shuichi's face. His bandaged badly bruised face. Even in this state of shock Shuichi words from what seemed like years ago echoed through his head...  
  
["Do you know what it feels like to see the only person you'll ever love hooked up to a lot of machines, being barely alive and you can't help him?!"]  
  
I do now, he thought, choking on a silent sob. I know what it feels like now. I'm completely helpless. There's nothing I can possibly do to repair his fractured knee or his cracked skull. Nothing. All I can do is stand here while he lies there covered in bandages and has tubes sticking out of his fucking head!!!  
  
There was a sniffle next to him. "I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll wait for you in the waiting room, Tatsuha."  
  
"Ryui-" but the singer was gone. Tatsuha sighed softly, squeezing Yuki's finger that rested on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Aniki. Shuichi will pull through. He's a strong person and not someone who gives up."  
  
Yuki rested his head on the glass next to his hand. "I sure hope so." 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
  
Tohma took in a deep breath before following Dr. Saraga into the room. He was almost afraid to look in the direction of the bed.  
  
"How are you feeling Seguchi?" asked Dr. Saraga, looking at her charts.  
  
"A little sore, but okay," Mika answered and Tohma shuddered at the soft, helpless tone in her voice.   
  
Dr. Saraga nodded before putting down her charts. "Your husband is here to see you."  
  
Tohma allowed himself to come into her view and he winced at what he saw. Mika was generally a strong person. But with the bandage wrap around her head and nose, and the brace around her wrist, he could tell she was having a hard time staying strong.  
  
"I'll going to check on my other patients," said Dr. Saraga, heading for the door. "If you need anything push the call button." Then he left  
  
Leaving Tohma alone with Mika.  
  
"How are you feeling?" asked Tohma, taking a seat next to the bed.  
  
"Terrible," said Mika. "But the drugs they gave me has helped dull the pain." She paused for a moment. "How is Eiri?"  
  
"He has a concussion, but that's it. I can't tell you more because I haven't gone to see him yet."  
  
Mika's eyes widened. Tohma didn't go to see Eiri first?  
  
"My vision is screwed up," said Mika. "Not enough to cause blindness, but the doctors said I might have to wear glasses for the rest of my life."  
  
Tohma kept his gaze on his folded hands. "Well, glasses are better than blindness."  
  
"I guess so."  
  
They sat there in silence for several long moments. It was if both were afraid they would say the wrong thing.  
  
"Tohma-"  
  
"Why didn't you tell me about the baby?" he suddenly blurted out.  
  
Mika's eyes widened before closing them. "The doctor told you?"  
  
"Yes. I don't think he realized I didn't know, but he informed me that the baby was all right."  
  
Mika nodded slightly. "I was able to avoid a miscarriage."  
  
"Mika-san...why didn't you just tell me about the baby?"  
  
Mika opened her eyes. "I did want to tell you. Remember how I stopped by you office that day with news? I had found out from my doctor that I was pregnant. But after the argument in your office, I just became...angry. And fed up. So I decided not to tell you unless you yourself outright asked me." She blinked back tears. "Of course you didn't, but I don't blame you for that."  
  
Tohma took her hand in both of his and raised it to his face. "I'm sorry. I've been selfish lately, wanting solely what is best for me. I don't know, maybe I don't know what's right for Eiri-san."  
  
"You've tried to help him out. That's what matters."  
  
"...But I haven't tried to help you or the baby out at all."  
  
"Do you think I'm angry at you for that? I mean, you had no idea of our child's existence until a few minutes ago."  
  
"Even so, I haven't really benefited anyone. All I've done is to increase everyone's pain. Now Eiri-san, Shindou-san, and you are hurt."  
  
"Our injuries weren't your fault."  
  
"But I could've done more to prevent these attacks."  
  
"Tohma..."  
  
Tohma kissed her hand. "One of the officers said Shindou-san distracted that woman long enough for Eiri to regain consciousness, which it why his injuries are the most severe. I don't think I'll ever approve of their relationship, but...I'm thankful to Shindou-san for saving his life. And yours."  
  
"How severe are his injuries?"  
  
"He has head trauma, a cracked skull, a damaged temporal lobe so his hearing is going to be altered, a compound fracture in his knee, and a dislocated shoulder."  
  
Mika shuddered. "Poor Shindou-kun. He'll never be able to hop around stage again with his knee in that shape..."  
  
They sat in silence again before Tohma spoke.  
  
"Do you know what it is?"  
  
Mika eyed him. "Huh?"  
  
"The baby. Did the doctor tell you what gender it is?"  
  
Mika nodded. "A boy."  
  
Tohma managed a small smile before placing one of his hands on Mika's stomach. "A boy, huh? That's great. Neither of you have to worry. From now on I'll take better care of you."  
  
Mika laughed a little. "Are you talking to me or our son?"  
  
"Does it matter? You both can hear me."  
  
"Yes, that's true."  
  
***  
  
The next several weeks were hard on everyone. Yuki was let out of the hospital right on schedule, while Mika and Shuichi remained. As a plus Tohma's realization to his child's existence helped to put a smile on Mika's face a lot more.   
  
But Shuichi was still being heavily drugged and his recovery was going at snail pace. He was recovered enough to allow visitors inside his room, though at first it was only his immediate family.  
  
"How are you feeling, Onii-chan?" asked Maiko, trying to be as cheerful as possible.  
  
"Drowsy," murmured Shuichi. "All this pain medication. What with my dislocated shoulder and hurt knee."  
  
"At least they removed the tubes from your head."  
  
"Ugh, don't remind me. Knowing I had tubes in my head will probably be the freakiest experience for me."  
  
Maiko laughed a little. "Your song 'Mizerable' debut at number 1 on the charts."  
  
"Really?!" Shuichi quickly sat up but yelped in pain from his hurt knee.  
  
"Onii-chan!!" Maiko helped him lie down. "Please try to control yourself!!"  
  
Shuichi sighed. "This sucks."  
  
"I know. But your recovery is very important. The more you cooperate with the doctors, the faster you'll heal."  
  
"...Maiko, why hasn't any of my friends come to see me?"  
  
"Oh, the doctor didn't tell you? Due to your condition at the current moment he said that only immediate family members might see you."  
  
"Oh, he did? Maybe I don't remember...or I didn't hear him."  
  
Maiko's stomach churned. "How is your hearing, Onii-chan?"  
  
"It's not as bad as the doctors had originally thought. But they said it won't be the same as it use to be." He sighed. "I guess it's a good thing that it's only happening in my left ear. If it was happening in both I don't know what I'd do. What, with my music and everything."  
  
"Onii-chan..."  
  
"Ugh, I don't care if it's for my health!! Tell the doctors I want to see my friends!!"  
  
After much convincing (and a loud Shuichi), the doctors allowed for Shuichi to see his friends.  
  
"You're looking better than I had thought," said Hiro, grinning at Shuichi.  
  
"HA!!! Did you think a couple of bruises would bring down Shuichi?!" yelled K. He smacked Shuichi's leg, which happened to be the one with the bad knee. "It won't be too long before he's up on stage!!"  
  
"OW!!!!"  
  
"You idiot, what the hell are you doing?!" barked Suguru. "Didn't you realize that's his hurt leg?!?!"  
  
"It's good to see you again, Shindou-san," said Ami. "You ARE looking better than what the reporters are saying."  
  
Shuichi blinked. "Huh?!"  
  
"Oh, didn't you know?! There have been TV people outside the hospital everyday for the past several weeks doing continuing coverage on your recovery. A reporter managed to sneak in, but one of the doctors threatened to throw him off the roof if he didn't leave."  
  
Shuichi groaned inwardly. "The press never stops, do they?"  
  
He kept seeing more and more of his friends come by everyday. One day even Ryuichi and Tatsuha stopped by.   
  
"SHUUUUICHI!!!!!!!!!!" shrieked Ryuichi, glomping him. "You're all right!!!"  
  
"Ow!! Yes, I'm fine Sakuma-san."  
  
Tatsuha pried Ryuichi off him. "Calm down Ryuichi. He's still in recovery."  
  
"Oh. KUMAGOROU BEAM!!!!!!!!!!" Ryuichi threw Kumagorou at the wall.   
  
Shuichi sweatdropped at him. "That's Sakuma-san for you."  
  
Tatsuha took a seat next to the bed. "He's been very worried about you. After we first saw you he was hysterical for several hours. It took me a long time to calm him down."  
  
"Really? How did you calm him down?"   
  
Tatsuha turned red and coughed. "I'd rather not say. But he's relieved to know you're all right. I mean, him being in his child mode is a sure sign. He's been in between his serious and child mode ever since you were hospitalized. He does consider you to be his best friend, after all."  
  
Shuichi suddenly went starry-eyed. "Wow, really?! Sakuma-san considers me his best friend? Wooooooooooooow..."  
  
"KUMAGOROU BEAM!!!!!!!!!!!" Ryuichi yelled again, throwing Kumagorou at the TV.  
  
Shuichi sighed sadly. "Yuki hasn't come by to see me."  
  
Tatsuha patted his hand. "Aniki has a concussion, remember? After he was released the doctors advised that he not move unnecessarily. But he's overcoming the concussion, so he'll be sure to see you soon."  
  
Shuichi nodded, feeling a little relieved.   
  
Suddenly a nurse came in. "Visiting hours are ending soon."  
  
Tatsuha sighed, standing up. "I guess I better go, huh? Let's go, Ryuichi."  
  
"Huh?! Oh, okay!!" Ryuichi glomped Shuichi again and gave him a peck on the cheek, much to Shuichi's shock and Tatsuha's horror. "Get well soon, Shuichi!!"  
  
Shuichi sat there stunned, even after they left. Shaking it off, he settled down for some sleep. Even if Yuki was under doctor's orders, he still wanted to see him. But as he was drifting off to sleep the door to his room opened. He snapped awake and looked at whom had come in, hoping it was Yuki.  
  
Tohma stood there.  
  
"Seguchi-san," said Shuichi, not even bothering to hide his disappointment.   
  
"I know, you expected Eiri-san," said Tohma, walking further into the room. "But he's still under doctors orders, I'm afraid."  
  
Shuichi glared at the opposite wall. He didn't need this now. He didn't need to hear any of Tohma's bullshit. "Visiting hours is almost over."  
  
"Yes, that's why I'm going to make this quick."  
  
Shuichi's fingers inched towards the call button.  
  
"I want to thank you."  
  
Shuichi froze. He looked at Tohma in total shock.   
  
"I spoke with the officers and they told me you provoked Mayumi enough to divert her attention away from Eiri-san and Mika-san. You saved their lives."  
  
Shuichi sighed. "I didn't want her hurting Yuki again."  
  
"Yes, and it's because of that that he only suffered a concussion. Mika-san is hurt as well, but our baby is safe."  
  
"Well, I didn't want-" Shuichi stopped. "Baby?"  
  
Tohma turned red. As if he didn't want to tell Shuichi that. "Yes, Mika-san is pregnant with a baby boy. Anyways, thank you."  
  
Shuichi turn his head away. "You're welcome." Now please go away, he said quietly.  
  
"Also, I want to apologize for my treatment of you. I don't apologize often, but I feel I need to apologize to you. I didn't have faith in your relationship, but I think I do now."  
  
Shuichi sighed again. "I accept your thanks, but I do not accept your apology. From day one you've never approved of my relationship with Yuki. Every time something bad happened to him or he disappeared it would somehow be my fault. His ulcer or going to New York or even the amnesia. You even manipulated his memories and made him believe I was the one responsible for hurting him in such a way. You weren't convinced that I loved him."  
  
"But now I am-"  
  
"Oh really? Was my cracked skull a clue? Or my damaged hearing? Or maybe it's my knee? I'm not stupid; I won't ever be able to run around crazy again. I love him very much, Seguchi-san. I'd DIE for Yuki if I could and I nearly did. But now, JUST NOW you're convinced I truly love him?! It took all this shit to happen to me for you to be convinced?!"  
  
"..."  
  
Tears spilled down Shuichi's face. "You want me to feel better? Then get me Yuki. Even when he treated me like shit just being there with him was enough. I don't care if he has to stay home, I want to see him. If you do that, then maybe JUST maybe I'll be a little convinced that you're sorry."  
  
Tohma coughed. "You want me to get him right now? With visiting hours nearly over?"  
  
Shuichi glared at him. "Forget it, I knew you wouldn't do it..."  
  
Tohma glanced at his watch. "I'll talk with the night staff tonight. This'll take me a while, but I'll be right back." Then he was gone.  
  
Shuichi stared shocked after him. Would Tohma do it? Was he really going to get Yuki? 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15  
  
Yuki suppressed a groan, raising a hand to his forehead. God, he had such a headache…  
  
I don't care if my concussion is fading, he thought. I still feel like shit.  
  
His apartment was shrouded in darkness. He was surprised the police let him go back there. What, with all the attempted murders; Yuki himself almost being a victim. Currently he lay on his back on the couch. The same couch Shuichi slept on so many times in the past…  
  
His concussion prevented him from doing much. Hell, he couldn't even take a shower without a dizzy spell hitting him.  
  
Nor could he leave the house.  
  
He sighed heavily, his fingers absently searching for his cigarette pack. Not that he had anywhere to go…except the hospital.  
  
He winced. Except for the time Tatsuha and Ryuichi took him there, he had not seen Shuichi at all in the past few weeks. The image of him was still engraved in Yuki's head. Lying there helpless, hooked up to so many machines, tubes sticking out of his head…  
  
He won't be leaving that hospital anytime soon, he thought. Same as Mika. Well, it's obvious that Mika's vision is fucked up, but Shuichi's hearing…and his knee. God knows how long he will be rehabilitating to walk on it again…  
  
KNOCK KNOCK!!!!  
  
Yuki turned towards his front door. Someone was knocking.  
  
I hope it's not any reporters, he thought, forcing himself to stand up. Another dizzy spell hit him, but he tried his best to ignore it as he sauntered over to the door. With much effort in the darkness he found the doorknob and opened the door.  
  
Tohma stood there, wearing one of his smiles.  
  
"What do you want?" asked Yuki.  
  
"I am your Fairy Godmother, here to whisk you away to meet your Prince!!" Tohma announced.  
  
Yuki tried to close the door, but Tohma put up a hand and stopped him. "Actually, I'm here to take you to Shindou-san."  
  
Yuki reopened the door. "What kind of drugs are you on?"  
  
"Nothing too strong!! I'm kidding, I'm clean. Seriously, I AM here to take you to him."  
  
"Why in the hell would you do that? I mean, you aren't exactly—"  
  
"I know I'm not. But I think I'm coming around. Besides, I owe Shindou-san for saving yours, Mika's, and my baby's lives!!"  
  
"Yeah, what—" Yuki froze. "Baby?!"  
  
"I'm going to be a father and you're going to be an uncle!!"   
  
Yuki shuddered. "Somehow the thought of you having sex with Mika is disturbing…"  
  
Tohma's eyebrow twitched, but he managed to keep the smile on his face. "Well, let's go!!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah."  
  
***  
  
  
  
Shuichi yawned loudly, stretching out his arms. He tried not to stretch out his legs, but ended up doing it anyway.  
  
"Shit!!" he cursed, rubbing his hurt leg. Why did he always have to do stupid things?!  
  
Seguchi-san hasn't come back yet, he thought. And visiting hours are long over. Looks like I won't be seeing Yuki tonight. Either that or Seguchi-san is a liar.  
  
"Look what I've got, Shindou-san."  
  
Shuichi shrieked in surprise, nearly jumping out of the bed. He turned his towards the voice.  
  
Tohma stood there, wearing his usual grin. Yuki was standing next to him, somewhat leaning on Tohma for support.  
  
"H-How did you two get here?!" said Shuichi.  
  
"Through the door, baka," said Yuki, shaking his head. "Didn't you hear us come in?"  
  
Shuichi shook his head. "No, I…it must be my hearing…"  
  
"Is it really bad?" asked Tohma.  
  
"No, not really. The doctors said that I can't hear soft things or sounds too far away unless they're loud. Once I'm done recovering he's going to give me a hearing aid."  
  
Tohma deposited Yuki in a chair next to the bed. "Okay, I'm going to leave you two alone. If you need anything I'll be in Mika-san's room."  
  
Shuichi gave a short nod. "Thanks, Seguchi-san."  
  
Tohma managed a smile before he left.  
  
"How's your concussion?" asked Shuichi when Yuki remained silent.  
  
"It's still there," said Yuki. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Mind if I smoke?"  
  
"I don't know how the nurses would react, but go ahead."  
  
Yuki lit one up. "My concussion is almost gone. It's still there though and it annoys the hell out of me."  
  
Shuichi laughed a little. "That's great. You're almost fully recovered."  
  
"What about you?" Yuki raised a hand to Shuichi's head, touching the hair around the shaved circles. Where the tubes had been. "Feeling any better?"  
  
"I guess so." Shuichi closed his eyes. "I want to sue her."  
  
"Who, Mayumi?"  
  
"Who else?! My hearing is shit, and my knee will never be the same! She practically ruined my career!!"  
  
"Shuichi—"  
  
"I know, I know. It'd be a wasted effort since she's flat broke. Not to mention she's already being charged with multiple counts of attempted murder and assault. When does her trial start anyway?"  
  
Yuki took a long drag from his cigarette. "Tomorrow."  
  
"Tomorrow?! How convenient for her. Two of her victims are in the hospital and not in any shape to testify against her."  
  
"Don't worry. If she's smart she'll plead guilty."  
  
Shuichi nodded. Silence filled the room for several long moments.  
  
"Yuki?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Can I kiss you?"  
  
Yuki put out his cigarette. "Why?"  
  
"I haven't been able to for a while. Not since before the attack. I thought I was going to die for a while and I wouldn't have been able to see you again."  
  
"…I just smoked a cigarette."  
  
"I don't care. I want to kiss you."  
  
Yuki sighed, standing up. Shuichi thought he was going to leave but instead Yuki seated himself on the edge of the bed. His heart leapt for joy as Yuki leaned down and claimed his lips.  
  
It was one of the sweetest kisses Shuichi had ever had. Whether it was because they hadn't kissed in so long or he had been so close to death, he didn't know. But he didn't care. All he cared about was feeling those soft but firm lips against his and Yuki's arms circling around him gently, as if to avoid hurting his shoulder.  
  
Finally, Yuki broke the kiss but he didn't let Shuichi go. He leaned his head against Shuichi's, letting their foreheads touch. "I was afraid."  
  
"Eh?" Shuichi blinked.  
  
"When I saw you that last time. Seeing how you looked right after the attack. I was afraid that any minute you were going to slip away."  
  
"Yuki…"  
  
"You wouldn't do that, would you? You wouldn't leave me all alone again, would you?"  
  
This is coming from the guy who left me alone lots of times, thought Shuichi, but he knew better than to say those words out loud. Obviously it must've given Yuki a great scare if he was spilling his emotions like this.  
  
"No, I wouldn't leave you Yuki," said Shuichi. He rested a hand against the back of Yuki's neck. "I don't know what I looked like in those early days, but I don't give up easily. I wasn't ready to die, so I fought for my life. And here I am now. I have physical ailments, but I feel fine. I won't leave you Yuki. But promise me you won't leave me."  
  
Yuki gave him a startled look. "When I was gang raped you took all the guilt into yourself and tried to stay away from me. I didn't need that then and I don't need that now. All I need is your support and love. Can you do that for me?"  
  
Yuki managed a nod.   
  
Shuichi grinned. "Does that mean you love me?"  
  
Yuki's eyes narrowed. "I—"  
  
Suddenly, the door opened and a nurse walked in. She did a double take when she saw Yuki. "What the—? What are you doing here?! Visiting hours are over!!"  
  
"I'm family," said Yuki, glaring at the nurse.  
  
The nurse was about to say something, but paused. She got a closer look at Yuki. "Oh my God, you're Yuki Eiri!!! I'm such a big fan!!! Can I have your autograph?!"  
  
Shuichi groaned.  
  
Next day at the courthouse…  
  
  
  
"How do you plead?" asked the judge.  
  
"Guilty," said Mayumi. She didn't look crazed anymore. She looked collectively calm with a streak of guilt on her face.  
  
Nothing less from an actress. Tears even rolled down her face with her plea.  
  
"Dammit," hissed Tatsuha. "By pleading guilty it makes it look like she WANTS to be repentant!!"  
  
"Is she sorry?" asked Ryuichi.  
  
"I highly doubt it."  
  
"Let's hope the protesters outside put plenty of pressure on the judge," said Hiro.   
  
"I hope they don't let her walk," said Ami.  
  
"She tried to kill Shindou-san, Yuki, and Seguchi-san's wife," said Suguru. "It's hardly ever that anyone gets away with trying to kill famous people."  
  
"Didn't Yuki come down here?" asked Hiro.  
  
"No," said Tohma. "He said he already knew how she was going to plead."  
  
***  
  
  
  
Yuki gave a snort of disgust and turned off the television. "I hate it when I'm right."  
  
***  
  
  
  
Mika sighed and turned the channel. "I'd like to wring that bitch's neck right now…"  
  
***  
  
  
  
"Don't act like you're sorry!!" yelled Shuichi, thrashing around in his hospital bed. The nurses tried to restrain him. "All you want to do is save yourself!! You aren't fooling me!! You nearly killed me!!"  
  
A few days later at the courthouse…  
  
  
  
"I truly am sorry for all the sorrow I've caused," said Mayumi, sniffling softly. She stood at the podium facing the judge, giving a plea as to why she shouldn't be sent to prison. "I've just been under so much stress lately that I…I had a breakdown. I had no idea what I was doing. Everything was just a blur. When I came to my senses, I was being charged with attempted murder.  
  
"I'm not a violent person. It was just a hard time for me, and…Yuki Eiri was easy to blame it all on. We did go out at one point. But what he didn't know was that after all this time…I still loved him very much."  
  
Yuki was about to stand up, but Tohma grabbed his arm and made him sit back down. He didn't want to be there. Tohma had made him come down, but he didn't want to be there. Because, despite her terrible acting abilities, this speech was very convincing. And the judge looked like an idiot. Yuki knew what the sentence was going to be.  
  
"I need to pay for what I did," continued Mayumi, wiping away her "tears". "But I wanted everyone to know that…I just wasn't myself. I never wanted to…do this…" she broke off into a loud sob. Her lawyer went to her side and brought her back to her seat.  
  
Yuki glared at her. Along with everyone else he was sitting with.  
  
"I've made my decision," said the judge. "Will the defendant please rise?"  
  
Mayumi stood back up, "emotionally shaken".   
  
"I can understand how hard of a time you've had," said the judge. "Losing the job you love, not being able to obtain other jobs, living in a terrible apartment.   
  
"But…what I can't understand is how you blame Uesugi Eiri for all your failures. And even as you went after him, how Seguchi Mika and Shindou Shuichi got mixed up in this mess. I've sat down and viewed that interview Mr. Uesugi gave that supposedly was incriminating against you. Though the comments he said were negative, they weren't as incriminating as you had thought.   
  
"Like I said before, I can understand the frustration you've been feeling. Being a big star isn't easy to obtain or stay as. But, none of this excuses the actions you have committed against Uesugi Eiri, Seguchi Mika, and Shindou Shuichi. So I shall accept your plead of guilty."  
  
Cheers and applause echoed the room. The judge banged his mallet. "Silence! Now for your sentencing.  
  
"There's no denying the fact that you committed these acts. You yourself stated that you did these acts. But today you have shown a great deal of remorse for all the crimes you have committed. Your speech alone has convinced me of such."  
  
"Un-fucking-believable," muttered Yuki, covering his eyes with his hand.  
  
"And so, I will accept your plea of guilty by means of insanity. If it were in my power I would let you go today. But since you DID commit these crimes, I sentence you to three years in an asylum under 24 hour surveillance. Court is adjourned." Then the judge left.  
  
"I knew it," said Yuki, shaking his head. People around him started shouting obscenities at the judge.  
  
Tohma stood straight up. "I have to make a few phone calls." Then he was gone.  
  
"Where's he going?" asked Tatsuha.  
  
"No doubt to call every magazine in Japan," said Noriko. "Anything to ruin that judge's career."  
  
"What's an asylum?" asked Ryuichi.  
  
"It's where insane people go," said Tatsuha.  
  
"Is Mayumi insane?"  
  
"Yes. But she doesn't deserve to go to an asylum. She was perfectly aware of what she was doing. She belongs in prison, not some mental institution."  
  
Hiro shook his head. "Somehow I knew this was gonna happen."  
  
"I didn't," said Ami. "I really wanted her to pay for what she did."  
  
"She is in a way," said Suguru. "She may have had a life sentence, but do you think anyone will hire her when she gets out? Not just for acting, but for ANY job? She screwed herself over, and I bet she doesn't even realize it."  
  
Yuki stood up. "I'm going."  
  
"Where?" asked Tatsuha.  
  
"To see Shuichi. He probably needs me right now."  
  
Tatsuha nodded. "Go."  
  
Next part is the final part. Be sure to tune in then! 


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Several months past since Mayumi's sentencing. No other incidents occurred after she was committed, making many wonder if the judge made the right decision. 

Mika was released from the hospital right on schedule. Her wrist had yet to fully heal, but she was in high spirits. Her pregnancy contributed to such. The only thing to spoil her moods was her now terrible eyesight which required her to wear glasses.

"The lenses are too thick," she said, glaring at her reflection in the mirror.

"Mika-san, you look nice," said Tohma, pulling on his black feathered coat.

"Tohma, how many times do I have to tell you to just call me Mika? It's too formal and we'll be having a baby soon."

"Sorry, I forgot Mika-sa—er, Mika."

Mika sighed and stared at her stomach. "Even with all the black I'm wearing it doesn't hide my pregnancy anymore."

Tohma put a hand on her stomach. "Do you really want to hide it?"

"Not really…but I'm sick of people saying I'm overweight. There's a vast difference between being pregnant and being overweight."

Tohma laughed. "I wonder if we'll have this much dilemma trying to think of a name for him?"

Mika scuffed and pulled on her coat. "Probably." She took off her glasses again. "So much for 20/20 vision. I think I'll get contacts."

"Aw, but you look nice with glasses."

"Shut up, Tohma."  
  
***

"You guys!!" cried Ami as she ran into the room, waving a letter. "You won't believe this!! I got accepted!!"

"Into that Tokyo University for music?" asked Hiro.

"Yep!! I start right after I graduate!!" she pounced on Suguru from behind. "Isn't it great?! I can become a professional violinist!!"

"Yes," said Suguru. "Even though you're pretty professional now."

Ami sobered. "I'm a little worried though. Do you think they only accepted me because of my role with the song, 'Mizerable'?"

"You have a full resume of things you've done with your violin," said Hiro. "You contributing to the song are just one of the many things you've done."

Ami thought about that, and a smile crossed her face. "You're right. I was on television with my violin a good three times before doing 'Mizerable'."

"Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music knows talent when they see it," said Suguru. 

"Thanks!" Ami smiled and then changed directions. "Any of you hear from Shindou-kun?"

"He's still in rehabilitation," said Hiro. "It's really tough on Shuichi. They've been teaching him how to walk with a brace on."

Silence answered this. Suddenly, the door to the room was kicked down and K ran in, slowly followed by Sakano.

"BIG NEWS!!!!" yelled K. "'Mizerable' is still number 1 after 12 weeks!!"

"Really?!" squeaked Ami.

"Um, K-san?" said Sakano. "You have to fix the door. Otherwise Sachou—"

"Who cares?! Once Shuichi gets fully recovered we have to figure out a game plan!!"

"What kind of a game plan?" asked Hiro.

"You all know!! Bad Luck has been put on hold ever since Shuichi entered the hospital. When he gets out—"

"There's no telling whether or not he'll want to stay on as a singer," interrupted Suguru. "I'm sure you're very aware the permanent injury Shindou-san has to his knee."

"Knowing Shuichi, he'd want to stay on even if he was a quadriplegic," said Hiro. "But I'm not going to lie and say he'll be the same person he was. Having a compound fracture in his knee is going to affect his walking for the rest of his life, and since he runs everywhere it'll be very hard on him."

Silence followed this. Then Ami spoke up. 

"I know I'm not in the band," she said. "But there can't be a Bad Luck without any of you guys. Shindou-kun loves music enough to want to rejoin the band as quickly as possible. True, Shindou-kun discharge from the hospital will signal that Bad Luck has to make a decision as to where they want to go. I think it's should be Shuichi's decision."

"But what about the doctors?!" demanded K. "What if they tell him not to do it anymore?"

"Knowing Shindou-kun, he'd play even if he couldn't move his body, like Hiro said. But if his injury will impair him from being a musician, or even carrying on a normal life, the doctors are definitely going to put their foots down."  
  
***

"That's it Shindou-san, you're doing great."

Maiko watched her brother anxiously, her hands knotted in her lap. He was practicing walking with his brace on again. He seemed to be doing better than on previous days

Shuichi burrowed his eyebrows in concentration as he continued to walk the length the rehab doctor told him to. He was setting his full attention on this.

"A little more…there you did it!!" cried the rehab doctor. "What an improvement!!"

Shuichi laughed a little, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks!"

"Can he go home soon?" asked Maiko's mother.

"He seems to have completely adjusted to the brace," said the rehab doctor. "But I still want to monitor his progress. Plus the hospital is almost done with the custom made hearing aide for him. I'd say he should be discharged in a few days."

"All right!!" yelled Shuichi, jumping up into the air but taking special caution to land on his good leg.

As the rehab doctor talked with their parents, Maiko went to her brother.

"I'm glad to see you're doing all right, Onii-chan," she said, smiling broadly.

Shuichi smirked and struck a pose. "Of course I was going to do all right!! I'm Shindou Shuichi of Bad Luck!!! I can do no wrong!!" Flames raged in the background.

Maiko didn't want to interrupt her brother's ego trip, so she waited until the flames had disappeared before she spoke. "Has Yuki come by to visit?"

Shuichi gave a slight nod. "Every once and a while. But I can understand the times he can't."

"Onii-chan—"

"I'm not making excuses for him. Even though I was attacked nearly four months ago, the press is still hounding us. Besides…" he grinned smugly. "When he does visit, it's certainly…pleasant."

Maiko decided she didn't want to know and changed topics.

"They said they were making you a custom made hearing aide. Why is it taking so long to finish."

Shuichi laughed. "Oh, that's because I requested them to make it the color pink!! That way it'll go with my hair!!"

Maiko shook her head in disbelief. "You really amaze me, Onii-chan…"  
  
***

"Yuki-san…is this a happy ending?!" cried his publicist.

Yuki shrugged. "I felt I needed a change from all those lovers' suicide and break ups stories."

"I must say…" the publicist reread several parts of the story. "This is definitely your best work yet. I can definitely feel the emotions here. I told you that your book will be on the shelves in two months right?"

"Yeah."

"Forget that." He dialed on his cell phone. "I'm releasing this as soon as possible. This is going to be a best seller." 

Yuki didn't really seem to care. "If that's all I'll take my leave."

"Sure. This is great…Yeah? Hello? You're not gonna believe this new story from Yuki Eiri!!"

Yuki stood up from the table and drifted out of the restaurant. Once outside he lit up a cigarette.

Though he still had frequent headaches, he had fully recovered from his concussion. The headaches didn't affect him though; he usually had headaches anyway so his daily routine wasn't changed.

Unlike some people.

Mika's out of the hospital, and eight months pregnant, he thought, taking a long drag from his cigarette. Shuichi's still in the hospital but making fast progress with rehab.

He smirked. Though it was hard to, he managed time to visit Shuichi. Each visit was exceptionally pleasant for him, though things were hard with Shuichi's knee. But it didn't seem to affect either of them, though the hospital didn't like it.

Yuki coughed on a little smoke as he remembered the incident from a month ago. Shuichi and he were 'engaged', and at the wrong moment a nurse happened to walk in on them. After an all-out screaming fest she declared (despite it was THE Yuki Eiri) that if she ever saw him doing that in the hospital again she would castrate him.

Then again, she only worked the day shift. Her threats didn't affect him if he happened to be seeing Shuichi at night.

Yuki looked at his watch, an evil idea playing in his mind. He should go visit Shuichi. Not just for company's sake, but also to annoy the hell out of that nurse. She said no sex in the hospital; but she never said anything else.

He turned and headed in the direction of the hospital when he heard a yell behind him.

"Aniki!!!!"

"Oh shit," grumbled Yuki, hearing four feet pounding on the pavement behind him. He reluctantly turned to meet Tatsuha and Ryuichi. "What do you want?!"

"Aw, don't be mean Aniki!!!" whined Ryuichi, tears filling puppy dog eyes that were hidden behind sunglasses.

"Don't call me that. And shouldn't you be at work?"

"Ryuichi doesn't have fun at work!! Tohma and Noriko spend their time with their kids!!"

"Tohma doesn't have any kids yet. Mika's still got a few more weeks." Yuki gave another shudder at the reminder that his sister and Tohma actually had sex.

Tatsuha grinned. "We were thinking of heading to that new theme park. Wanna come with us?"

"Yeah, come!!" Ryuichi pulled out a large suit. "We're dressing like animals!! You can be the kitty!!"

Yuki never ran so fast in his whole life. He heard the protests of Tatsuha and Ryuichi behind him. 

I can't go to the hospital now because they'll probably follow me and hound Shuichi throughout the whole visit, he thought. I'll just head home and locked all my doors and windows…  
  
***

Within a few days Japan seemed to be in a blissful haze. With his knee brace and pink hearing aide, Shuichi was ready to finally leave the hospital.

But, he needed prepping before that.

"The press is expecting you to say a few things," said Sakano, shaking like a leaf as he stared out the window. "There's so many of them out there…"

"What will you say, Shindou-san?" asked Suguru, also seemingly anxiously despite his calm face.

Shuichi smiled broadly. "You'll all see."

Shuichi's father shook his head. "Y'know, you didn't have to schedule a conference with the press right after your discharge. And the hospital officials aren't exactly pleased that said hearing is located in front of the hospital's front doors."

"What I have to say is important and needs to be said right away."

Hiro sighed heavily. "Even with your hearing and knee you still take risks, Shuichi."

"Does K-san know what you're going to say?" asked Sakano.

Shuichi nodded. 

"Where IS K-san, now that you mention it?" asked Suguru, looking around.

"I think he's making the arrangements," said Shuichi. He ignored the confused looks on everyone's faces and turned to his parents. "Let's go."

"Be careful, Onii-chan," Maiko advised, looking just as nervous as everyone else.

They all ventured towards the hospital doors, getting looks from everyone. It even looked like most of the patients had left their rooms to see his departure.

"Here we go," hissed Hiro as they reached the doors. Once they stepped through them they were greeted by bright flashbulbs.

What seemed like hundreds of reporters were surrounding the areas, all of them yelling questions. Shuichi gave a quick smile and walked over to the podium. More flashbulbs went off as if to capture Shuichi's new walk, which was really more of a limp. He stood in front of the podium, squinting through the flashing lights as the reporters quieted down so he could speak.

"Thanks for coming out here," Shuichi greeted and a hushed silence fell, save an extra flash of a camera. "Before I get started, I would like to thank all my fans across Japan for their support. It makes me happy knowing so many people have cared about me and my recovery. Your support truly means a lot to me. I mean." He laughed a little. "It's not everyday that your song stays at number 1 for 12 weeks!"

Some of the reporters laughed a little, but quickly quieted down so Shuichi could continue.

"I'm guessing all of you are wondering where Bad Luck will go from here. I'm not going to lie; my injuries aren't exactly bumps and scratches. Due to some head damage I'll need to wear a hearing aide in my left ear from now on. And due to the damage to my knee I'm required to walk with a brace 24/7 for the rest of my life."

Shocked murmurs filled the crowd before the quieted once more.

"Having said this, I will address your fears. I know many of you are wondering if this will be the end of Bad Luck. Will a person with terrible hearing and a bad knee be able to continue on the track as a musician?

"I have a simple answer to this question: absolutely." He waited as several people (including his bandmates) sighed in great relief. "All my life I've dreamed of singing in my own band and having my songs top the charts. I'm not about to throw away my dream just because I have a few disabilities now. Would an athlete quick playing football just because his foot was amputated?"

"Um, Shuichi?" hissed Hiro. "Feet are a requirement for football."

"The point is," said Shuichi, turning red from Hiro's comment. "I'm not going to quit. The only way I'd ever quit music is if I died. And even then I'd probably never give it up. Okay, I'll answer any questions."

Reporters started yelling. Shuichi pointed to a man in the back.

"Shindou-san, what are your plans for the band now that you're out of the hospital?" he asked.

"Excellent question, I almost forgot to tell you," said Shuichi. He braced himself. "Being in the hospital these past few months has allowed me to make a wonderful recovery. But it kept me from one of my loves; music. I know the fans are eager for something from me since Bad Luck has been standing still since my hospital stay. But I've come up with the perfect solution.

"I've given this a lot of thought and even consulted my manager about this. I've decided, as a reward to my fans for their patience, that Bad Luck will go on a national tour of every city in Japan!!"

Shocked silence greeted him. His family and his bandmates stared at him with horrified expressions.

"You heard me right!! A tour!! Full night concerts in every city!! We'll start the tour in Hokkaido and end it here in Tokyo!! You all have been so good to me, this is the only way I can think of thanking you!!"

No one spoke. They couldn't seem to form whole words. 

Shuichi stared right into the camera in front of him. "Residents in Hokkaido, tickets for my concerts there go on sale tomorrow for 2,500 yen. All tickets will be this price. But if you want to reserve your tickets it'll cost you an extra thousand yen. I can't wait to see all of you!!"  
  
***

"What the hell were you thinking?!?!" yelled Hiro.

"You're still recovering!!!!" shrieked Maiko.

"Full night concerts in every city!!!" shrieked Shuichi's mother. "If you're looking to kill yourself, congratulations!!!"

"How long have you and K-san been planning this behind our backs?!" barked Suguru. "Why didn't you even consult US?! The band?!"

Shuichi looked at everyone, keeping a calm face. K was sitting off to the side, grinning evilly and polishing his M-16. Shuichi knew that was why they were attacking him and not going anywhere near K.

"If I did consult you guys you would've said no," he said simply.

"Of course we would've!!!!" roared Hiro. "In case you haven't noticed, you just got discharged today!!!"

"I know that, Hiro. This is something I had to do."

"Something you had to…you are so stupid, Shuichi!!! Don't you give a damn about your body AT ALL?!?!"

"Yes. Why else do you think I tried so hard in rehab?"

Everyone was still fuming at him. 

"Look you guys; I gave this a lot of thought. Everything you are saying I've thought about too, I really did. But music is my second love and I've been without it for so long. It hurts that I'm not the same Shindou Shuichi, who yelled a lot and ran and jumped everywhere. That doesn't mean I've changed entirely. I'm not going to sit around feeling sorry for myself. I have to do something. Doing these concerts is doing something."

"But your knee!! And your hearing!!!" shrieked his mother.

"Like I said, I gave this a lot of thought. All I ask is for your support."

They just stared at him.

"What do you want me to do? Sit back and brood about because I can't run? Let some other band claim our status? I'm not weak. I'm not going to give up on my dream. And I do care. Making this decision gave me a whole lot of doubts. It scares me knowing how delicate I have to be with myself to avoid further damage to myself." Tears were running down his face. "But I'm not going to give up. Not when all of Japan has been praying for my recovery."

Silence answered him. Then Hiro sighed heavily.

"You always were impulsive Shuichi." He lowered his head. "And you're always stubborn about everything." He lifted his head and gave a small smile. "But I shouldn't tell you how to do things. You're following your heart."

Maiko smiled a little too. "I almost expected something like this from you, Onii-chan. Just be sure not to overdue it."

Suguru threw up his hands. "It's not like anything I say will make a difference. Nakano-san's right; you're just following your heart. Can't be angry at you for that."

Shuichi's parents weren't as relenting. They kept insisting that he give up doing the concert. But when K told them that it was too late, that everything was already set up and underway, they had no choice but to relent.

"Just take care of yourself," said his mother.

"I'll kill you if you do any further damage to your knee," said his father before pulling him into a hug.

K jumped to his feet. "Perfect!! The tickets for Hokkaido go on sale tomorrow and the concert there is next month!! You all better be prepared for it!!"

Everyone acknowledged him. Shuichi smiled brightly, though he knew there was still one last person he had to talk to.

Yuki.  
  
***

"Always this compulsive?" asked Yuki drinking down his beer.

Shuichi shifted his feet uncomfortably. "It was just an idea at first, but then it became what it is now."

Yuki finished his beer. "A month, huh? And how long will you be gone?"

"I-I-I don't know."

Yuki scoffed and sat on the couch. "How convenient. Even if it is a month away that doesn't give us much time, does it? Your career always comes first."

"Yuki!!" Shuichi limped forward and slowly brought himself to sit on the floor in front of Yuki. The action, which generally use to take less than a microsecond, took Shuichi thirty seconds. Yuki watched this with a pained look on his face.

"Look at yourself. Your knee brace and your hearing aide. How can you just run off when you just got out of the hospital?"

Shuichi swallowed. "Yuki—"

"Did you even consider my feelings for a second? No you didn't!! Instead you put music before anything else!!" Tears were starting fall down his cheeks and Shuichi became scared. Yuki almost never cried.

"Yuki—"

"Do you know the pain I'm feeling when I see you like this? Knowing that I caused those injuries?!"

"You didn't—"

"I didn't inflict them upon you, but I might as well have been holding that golf club. That woman was there to kill me and the only thing I got was an on and off headache. You can't even hear properly out of your left ear! You can't run anymore because of your knee!!"

"Yuki…"

Yuki buried his face into his hands. "I don't even know how to make it up to you. How the fuck can I? You're disabled in places which held your strongest points and now you're going to go off and do a concert!! I was in agony when you were in the hospital and now you're leaving me alone again!!"

Shuichi reached up and hugged Yuki tightly. Tears were spilling down his own cheeks.

"I love you Yuki," he said shakily, sniffling. "I really do. You're right; I wasn't thinking about your feelings when I decided to do the concerts. But do you think that means I love music more than you? Music is my second love! You'll always come first before anything!"

Yuki didn't respond, just kept his face in his hands.

"But I want my life to get back to normal. Doing this concert is the only way I know how to. It's scary, Yuki. I'm really scared. I don't want a knee brace or a hearing aide. I want it all to go away. But did you ever think for one second that I blamed you for my injuries? If you did, then that's very stupid. I'll never blame you for it. Receiving these injuries helped save your life and Mika-san's. I hate them, but I don't want you hating yourself. I love you. It's not your fault…"

Yuki's hands left his face and he clung to Shuichi just as tightly. They both sat there for what seemed like forever, bearing with their pain. Finally, they both ran out of tears to cry. Yuki cupped Shuichi's face and kissed him for a long time. When they broke the kiss, Yuki said something that warmed Shuichi's heart.

"I love you."

"You really mean it?" Shuichi had known that Yuki loved him, but this was the first time he had ever said it.

"Yes."

Shuichi clung to him tightly. "Y'know, my concert is only a month away. We can make with the best of it."

Yuki grinned to himself. "Of course."  
  
***

Indeed, Shuichi and Yuki did make the best of those four weeks. Needlessly to say, both hardly saw the light of day in that time.

Their 'time' together wasn't the only thing pleasant. They had enough time to answer Tohma's call that Mika was going into labor. Though about a week earlier than schedule, Mika endure seven hours of labor to give birth to a beautiful baby boy. A boy having honey blonde hair, and Tohma's blue eyes. In spite of himself, Yuki couldn't help but like the little guy. Especially since the little guy seemed to have his smirk.

The joyful event of course was overshadowed by Mika and Tohma trying to decide a name for him. After three days they settled on 'Zen'. 

"Zen?" said Yuki, wrinkling his nose. "How the hell did you come up with THAT?!"

"It's a nice name!!" Mika said indignantly, cuddling the baby close to her.

Tatsuha and Ryuichi seemed hyperactive about the baby. Having seemingly been inducted into the family, Ryuichi was very insistent on getting to know his nephew-in-law.

"Lemme hold him!!" he cried, holding out his hands like a child.

Mika eyed him warily. "Um…"

If having the baby wasn't big enough, it was the appearance of the Uesugi father. While he seemed thrilled about Zen, he was slightly uncomfortable at seeing his two sons with other men.

"Aren't you the cross-dresser?" he asked, pointing to Shuichi. "What happened to your knee?"

"Oh, I saved Yuki from certain death!!" said Shuichi brightly.

He eyed Shuichi in a way that showed he thought he was crazy. It was much clear that no one had told him anything in the past few months.

When the glow of the new baby died down, a new glow settled in. The Bad Luck tour was approaching quickly and everyone was anxious. Shuichi spent even more time with Yuki, though this was contributed by the fact that reporters now followed him everywhere he went. He wasn't the only one facing this. The other band members and even anyone in NG studios faced. It came to it that everyone just wanted the concert date to arrive.

And it did. It was a day before their first concert. They were packed up and ready to leave Tokyo.

"I'll be fine," assured Shuichi to his sobbing mother. "I won't do anything reckless."

"Take care of yourself, Onii-chan," said Maiko, kissing him on the cheek.

"I wish I could go with you guys," said Ami. "But I only assisted for one song, so it wouldn't make sense."

"You helped us out a lot though," said Suguru. "And we'll always appreciate it."

Ami gave him a quick hug. "Thanks."

"I'll be sure to come to your concert when it comes to Kyoto," said Ayaka, smiling a little.

"Good, because I'll be sending you V.I.P. tickets," said Hiro. "That way you'll get a clear view of the show and be able to come see us backstage."

Mika looked around, sighing heavily. "Look at all these people!! I can't even see Eiri!! Is he even here?!"

Tohma held Zen, smiling in his usual way. "Don't worry about Eiri-san. I'm sure he said goodbye to Shindou-san in his own way. And with all the press here to see Bad Luck off, you can imagine how the press will act when they see them together."

As if on cue, a photographer noticed them. "Look!! Seguchi Tohma with his wife and baby!!"

"So much for being undercover," said Mika, sighing heavily as a group of reporters descended on them.

"Shuichi!!!!" cried Ryuichi, clinging to Shuichi and crying. "I'll miss you!!!"

"What're you talking about!!" asked Tatsuha. "We have V.I.P. passes to all the shows!!!"

"You do?!" asked Shuichi.

"Of course!! This is Sakuma Ryuichi who's clinging to you!! He used his connections to get us tickets!!"

"I-I-I want to get Aniki one, but he said no!!!" said Ryuichi, snuggling Kumagorou. "I got one for Kumagorou though!!" he held up the stuffed bunny, which had the V.I.P. ticket hanging around his neck.

"That's, uh, cute Sakuma-san," said Shuichi.

"Speaking of Yuki, where is he?" asked Hiro. "He's not here to see you off!"

Shuichi shrugged. "Yuki said he had an important meeting that couldn't be avoided. But it's fine. He gave me a very nice goodbye present." He grinned to himself.

"Okay, it's time!!" yelled K. "The plane's leaving soon!!"

The band said their goodbyes to their family and friends and went to get on the plane. Their concert was now their main focus.  
  
***

"Ten minutes people!!" yelled a stage hand.

Shuichi sighed and stretched. "Ooh, this is so exciting!! Our first big concert in a long time!!!"

"Don't overdue it," warned Suguru. "If you do we'll kill you."

"Yeah, yeah I know!!"

Hiro checked the strings on his guitar. "An all-night concert. I hope my fingers can hold out."

"Seven minutes!!!"

There was a knock at the door and Sakano entered. "Shindou-kun, can you come with me please?"

"Is something wrong?" asked Shuichi.

Sakano smiled. "No, but it's important."

"Make it quick," said Suguru. "We go on soon."

Shuichi followed Sakano out of the room just as the stage hand announced that it was five minutes 'till show time.

Sakano stopped in front of a door and Shuichi, who hadn't been paying attention, ran into him.

"What—"

"In here, please," said Sakano, still smiling.

Shuichi glanced at him briefly and opened the door. The stage hand announced they had four minutes.

But Shuichi didn't hear him. His mind was in a state of shock at what he saw in the room.

Yuki was sitting on a couch, smoking a cigarette.

"Hey," he said, smirking.

"We have three minutes," reminded Sakano. "Be sure to keep it brief you can talk during intermissions." Then he left, closing the door behind him.

Shuichi continued to stare at Yuki. "Yuki? But…didn't…the meeting—"

"Oh that," said Yuki. "I was purchasing a plane ticket here."

"Why—"

"Why? Why not? My new book has been published and it's a bestseller. I have plenty of time on my hands. So I figured…" he took a puff. "I would tag along on your little tour."

Shuichi's heart fluttered with joy. "You really mean it?"

"Yeah. Did you think I'd be satisfied with only a month of your time?"

"YUKI!!!!!!" Shuichi jumped on him. "Thank you so much!!!"

"Careful!!! Think of your knee!!"

The door opened and K stood there. "I guess my plan worked, huh?"

"It was actually my idea," said Yuki, letting Shuichi go.

"Whatever. It's time Shuichi."

Shuichi nodded and turned to Yuki. "Thanks Yuki. I promise you'll always remember this."

"Considering how my memory has been doing, I sure hope so."

Shuichi gave him a quick kiss and hurried off with K. As they entered the stage area, he saw that Hiro and Suguru were waiting for him.

Light has shined on me, he thought, smiling broadly. After everything I've been through, my life is finally back on track.

"Ready to go?" asked Hiro.

"You know it," said Shuichi.

"All right. Here we go!!"

If I were looking at my life almost a year ago, I'd probably say it sucks.

They went onto the stage, greeted by thousands of screaming fans.

But I've finally made it through.

"Hey!!!!!!!!!" Shuichi yelled into the microphone.

I have the greatest friends in the world…

Hiro gave Shuichi the thumbs up. Suguru smiled a little as he took his place behind the keyboards.

I have fans who will always stick by me…

The screaming fans started chanting his name. Signs were waved in the audience saying, 'I ♥ YOU SHUICHI!!!!' and 'BAD LUCK ROCKS!!!!!!!'

And I have someone who loves me as much as I love him…

Yuki snorted and shook his head backstage as he watched Shuichi's antics.

I don't know if I'll ever feel this happy again…

"GO SHUICHI!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tatsuha and Ryuichi from the other side of the stage. Ryuichi waved Kumagorou wildly.

I don't even know if this happiness will last long…

Ami sat at her computer, watching the concert live on the internet. "Good luck, guys…"

But as far as I know…

"Look at your uncle-in-law," said Mika, showing Zen the concert on the internet. "Let's hope you're not as hyperactive."

Tohma laughed. "Uncle-in-law? Yeah, I guess Shindou-san is."

No matter what else is thrown at me…

Maiko shook her head as she watched her brother. "I can always count on Onii-chan to act out."

Even if I won't be able to handle it…

Noriko was also watching the live concert on the internet. "Looks like he's been to hell and back. But he seems to be a lot more cheerful now. I guess Tohma finally gave in."

I have my friends and my love next to me.

"Welcome to the first night of our concert!!" yelled Shuichi.

And for as long as I live…

"I'm sure you all will recognize this song!!" the playback of Ami's violin filled the hall and the fans screamed as 'Mizerable' started.

This memory will never fade away.  
  
~The End~

I would like to thank everyone for reading this story and for all the wonderful reviews I received. Thanks for sticking with it, even though my updates took a long time. I want to wish everyone a happy Easter and I hope you loved reading this fic as much I love writing it. 


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